Evening star., 1943-09-17
Text Of Presidents Report to Congress on War Status

shores to the actual fighting areas
the weapons and munitions of war
which we make Burma and China
can be reached only with extraor-
dinary difficulty Two years ago,
most of the planes we sent had to
be knocked down, Grated. put on
board ship, transported, then un-
Grated and put together again in
India, and from there sent up to the
fighting front.
In the case of China. they had to
be flown over enormous mountains.
Even after they were safely delivered
there, the planes had to be kept sup
piled with ground crews, tools, oil,
gasoline and even spare parts. Since
the Japs cut the Burma Road, all
these supplies have to be flown over
hundreds of miles to bases which
had to be built in China.
The same slow process was also
the rule in the Southwest Pacific.
With the present increased range
OF alrplaneS and the establishment
of additional bases. we are now
flying more of them under their own
power than before, but all the things
that go to supply them-the gasoline,
the tools, the spare parts-still have
to be taken by ship to the fighting
fronts all over the world. Practically
every soldier and all his weapons
and equipment have to go by ship.
And every time new forward move
develops the whole outfit has to go
by ship.
l wonder how many people realize
what 1t means to carry on the war
across the Atlantic and the Pacific
and through the Mediterranean and
the Indian Ocean, along lines OF
supply attacked by submarines and
dive bombers at many points.
Longest Movement.
The combined operation of the
British and Americans last Novem-
Der against Morocco and Algeria was
IN point OF numbers the largest mill
tary movement over the longest
number of miles to landings under
fire that history has recorded any,
where.
The ships for such an amphibious
operation cannot be loaded in the
ordinary way, to be unloaded along
side comfortable safe wharf
Most of the ships must be combat
loaded in such a way that the
troops go ashore first and are i'm
mediately followed in the proper
order by guns and ammunition
tanks, trucks and food, medical
equipment and all the supplies of a
modern army. Preparations must
be made to conduct these landings
under enemy fire and on beaches
instead of at docks People who
have seen or planned this kind of
operation even over short distances
do not speak glibly about landing
great expeditions on a few days no.
tice or on all the beaches of Europe
at the same time.
The members of the Congress
have undoubtedly had an oppor-
cunity to see at first hand in their
own home districts some of our war
factories and plants and shipyards
throughout the United States which
are now working at full blast turn
Ing out the greatest amount of war
production in the history of the
world.
In June and July we were worried
oy reduction in the rate of increase
IN production. Great as our produc-
ton had been We could not afford to
level off. We had to continue the
upward curve and not pause on any
plateaus.
Production Increased.
I am happy to report that the in
crease was resumed in August. In
this month of September it is even
better.
For example, during the two
months of the recess of the Congress
our factories produced pproximate-
ly $4,000 planes. There was an es-
peclally important increase in the
production of heavy bombers in Au-
gust. I cannot reveal the exact fig
ures on this They would give the
enemy needed nformation-but no
comfort. However, the total airplane
production is still not good enough.
We seek not only to come up to the
schedule but to surpass it.
During those same two months
American shipyards put into COM
mission 100000 tons of large mer-
chant ships-a total of 281 ships, al
most five ships a day.
Even as the actual fighting en-
gagements in which out troops take
part increase in number, it is becom-
ing more and more evident that this
is essentially great war of produc-
ton. The best way to avoid heavy
casualty lists is to provide our troops
with the best equipment possible
and plenty of it.
We have come a great way since
this Congress first met in January
OF this year. But state only a blunt
fact when I tell the Congress that
we are still long, long way from
ultimate victory in any major thea
ter OF the war.
Hard Fights Ahead.
First: Despite our substantial vic
tories in the Mediterranean we face
a hard and costly fight up through
Italy-and major job Of organizing
our positions before we can take
advantage of them.
Second: From bases in the British
Isles we must be sure that we have
assembled the strength to strike not
just in one direction, but in many
directions-by land and sea and in
the air-With overwhelming forces
and equipment.
Third Although our Russian AL
lies have made magnificent coun-
teroffensive, and are driving our
common enemies back day by day,
the Russian armies still have far to
go before they get into Germany
itself.
Fourth: The japanese hold
firmly-established positions on an
enormous front from the Kuriles
through the inundated islands to
the Solomons and through the
Netherlands E,a ct Indies to Ma1oVcio