Evening star., 1943-12-16
But the real

airplane at David Lawrence.
tacks with ground movements swept
the strongest Notifications OF France
before them in 1910.
The speech of Prime Minister
Churchill last spring gave hope thai
air war alone might deliver crush.
ing and perhaps decisive blow. Mr.
Churchill left loophole, to be sure
when he said there was no harm ir
the experiment of trying to win the
war from the air provided other ef-
fective measures were not excluded
1t should not be assumed that the
Allies deliberately postponed ground
operations in 1943 while they expert
mented In the air. After the war II
will no doubt be disclosed that the
Allies have not been ready and will
not be ready till 1914 to carry on
their invasion of the continent OF
Europe and that the strategic bomb
ing from the air fitted in with the
uncertainties of the operations on
the Russian front and in the Medi-
terranean.
A vast military operation is being
prepared. 1t will doubtless be the
biggest movement of ground troops
in all history. The Nazis announce
that they now expect an invasion
In Western Europe. They might as
we'll prepare for an invasion in all
parts of Europe, for the Allies will
not open just one front but several
fronts simultaneously or in series
of consecutive operations that will
not permit the Nazi command to
keep all of it's forces concentrated in
any one place.
Most important at the moment Is
that Russia, Great Britain and the
United States have achieved mill
tary coordination. An overall or
combined chiefs of staff, with Rus
sian. American and British officers
representing every branch Of
warfare, will be in command. At
tacks and counterattacks will be
timed to permit the most effective
blows to be struck In such order
as to confuse and bewilder the enc
my. Strategic air bombing will be
carried on, too, as the tactical air
operations develop in different thea
tiers of action.
When will all this happen? The
plans have been made and, judging
only from published comments, the
big push will begin early in 1914
and will make 1914 the crucial wear
of the war.
No easy victory can be expected
Casualties will be numerous. The
sacrifices necessary to get foot
hold in important places in Western
and Northern Europe cannot be un-
derestimated at this time. 1t will
be a costly job in its initial stages
but the pressure exerted by a pow
erful force early may save the lives
of many later on.
The effect on the morale of the
German people may be such as to
wean them away from their Nazi
rulers. Many observers have thought
the air war with its terrific devas-
tation would do 1t by now but the
military viewpoint here is that only
when ground troops are landed and
a steady advance toward the original
borders of Germany has actually
begun will the masses become con-
vinced that the jig is up.
One thing appears plain. The
Teheran conference was more i'm
portant for the military decisions
made than for the political agree
ments announced There is a def
mite feeling of confidence that all
the Allied might can be modified
effectively now in all directions.
Shuttle-bombing from Russian to
Italian territory and from Britain
to Russian bases is a possibility as
coordination of warfare is achieved.
The war will be intensified on all
fronts and probably the climax of
all operations will come in the spring
as the days begin to lengthen.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)