Evening star., 1942-07-12
THE ROAD TO BERLIN: VIA EAST OR WEST:
strotesis Lean Attack japan Grips

One ray of hope shines in a world
ridden by oppression, mass murder and
depreciation: America is in the war and
Americas might ultimately will restore
the conquered nations to freedom.
Our setbacks since December and
the Nazi propaganda which tries to put
across the idea that Uncle Sam has
lost his walop through age and too
many years Of dissolute comfort have
made little impression on people from
Western Europe to the depths Of China
and the jungles OF Malaysia.
Reports reaching Washington from
the nations which are now under the
Nazi or Jap boot show that confidence
In their ultimate delivery through our
armed might remains unshaken. Some
are less patient than others. Some, like
those in Western Europe which are not
as accustomed to hardship as are the
Asiatic and Balkan peoples, expect
clouds OF American planes to sweep to
their rescue Immediately. But they all
have supreme confidence in their ulti-
mate salvation through American power.
Outlook Is Drab.
The general political and military pic
ture at present is not very pretty. The
Government publicity services, following
foreign patterns, have erred sadly. They
have painted our war picture in rosy
hues at times when they should have
known developments did not warrant 1t.
There is scarcely a responsible naval or
all "a eYV14r in, Iyoc jvarr& H.,
not predicted that the summer of 1912
will be the darkest in our history.
II our allies, the British and Russians,
can hold on during these painful
months by merely yielding ground to
q desperate and energetic enemy, the
war may be shorter than our strategists
anticipate. If, however, important stra-
tegic ground is lost and territories con-
tanning vital war materials, such as oil,
fall into the hands of the Axis, the sit
uation will be gloomier, because 1t will
mean that the war will have to run its
course of several years-probably until
1850. But at no time have our mill
tary leaders, who know how unpre-
pared we were on December and how
we'll prepared the enemy was, expressed
the slightest doubt that we can win,
alone, If necessary.
U. S. Not Yet in the Fighting.
The most pessimistic observers are
convinced that Great Britain can hold
out, even if she loses all her possessions
in Africa and the Near East. Russia.
too, can continue the struggle, even if
it has to give up Moscow, Leningrad and
the Caucasus, with its rich oil fields.
These are the very worst contingencies
which may occur in these trying summer
months, when the Axis will make su-
preme efforts to obtain a decisive vic
tory
The fact of the matter is that the
United States has not begun to fight.
We have merely marked time and made
q diversion here and there.
There has been much criticism in
Neutrality-suspicious. on the surface
OF our high strategy, which, to put it
bluntly, does not exist. The critics OF
the high command were justified in their
laments that we were not able to fight
on two fronts and that we were dispers-
ing our forces for no good purpose, This
was particularly true of the United
States Fleet which was never intended
to be used in small packages distributed
over the seven seas, but was meant to
be an aggressive weapon if we were
compelled to fight.
But close examination discloses that
the failures Of the high command were
inevitable. We were not allowed to take
the initiative. We were forced into this
war at moment chosen by the enemy,
not by ourselves. He'll broke loose every
where.
The British, who believed-as did the
administration in Washington-that we
would be able to baby the Japs for