Evening star., 1943-05-30

A1HeTlCdn-6rlClSnS strategy 1Or l943 dnt.
at least the first half of 1914 has been
decided on at the meetings between the
joint chiefs of staff of the two powers.
The outline has been submitted to Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Churchill, who have approved the de-
cisions of their strategists
Whether the adopted measures will be
further implemented at meeting with
Russia's Premier Joseph Stain anG
China's GeneraGssimo Chang Kai-shek
is for the time being unknown. 1t all
depends whether the Russian leader
American and British associates to have
a general meeting at the present time
The decisions reached in Washington
after almost two weeks of continuous
discussions and study naturally are a
military secret. The further actions of
the American British forces will be the
first indication of what has been deter
mined by the best military brains of
the two countries
We shall discover in the next few
weeks whether the remaining months of
1943 will be devoted to further prepara-
tlons for the final blow or whether they
will mark the beginning of the great
Allled offensive in Western Europe-the
offensive intended, according to our own
Commander in Chief, to open the road
to Berlin, Rome and Toxic.
The operations Of the Allied forces
IN the near future will indicate precisely
whether We are going to continue to
nibble at the peripheric defenses of what
Hitler described as the European fortress
or whether the Allies have decided on
a bold blow at the fortress itself.
British Would Save Manpower.
Our strategists are fully aware of the
temper OF the American people and there
Is reason to believe that they have told
their British colleagues that military
strategy in global war must take into
consideration the desires of the people
who are called to make sacrifices for
the prosecution of the war.
The same situation applies to Britain
The people IN both democratic countries
unqueStlonably have the fullest conf
dence in their military leaders who al
ready have proved their mettle But
while the American people. able to af-
lord losses with greater ease than the
British, undoubtedly are interested in
seeing the war. or at least the war we
are Waglng in Europe. come to a speedy
end, the British, mindful of their man.
power problem, are loath to sacrifice too
many OF their best available young men
Only few people who are keeping
sphynXllke silence know what has been
discussed at the meeting of the chiefs of
staff. But it is safe to assume, on the
basis of these obvious considerations
that the matter Of how quickly we should
try and finish off the Nazis must have
been the underlying tonic of the dis
cussions.
1he United States more than any of
her associates is concerned with an ac-
tive war on two fronts Even though
our strategy in the Pacific cannot be
described as more than a holding onera-
ton it requires large proportion of our
forces.
While admitting that they consider
the japanese a vicious enemy whose
forces eventually must be pulverized. the
British necessarily are less concerned
over the Pacific situation
Hitler Main Enemy.
lhelr nam enemy is across the Chan
mel The British Isles no longer are in
serious danger of being invaded it is true
but unless Hitler and his hordes are COM
pletely destroyed no Englishman can
sleep quietly.
The British high command has sent =
1orce to India to guard that country
against japanese invasion and prevent
a strong rebellious outburst of the IN
dian Nationalists. But Britain has not
fought very determinedlv in the Far East
since the fall of Singapore.
The care of Australia and New Zealand
has been placed in charge of the United
States. For all lntents and purposes
Britain now has only one front-the
European, which includes strategicallv
the Near and the Middle East
Russia has given no indication that she
may wish to fight Japan. 1t NAV be a
wise and deep 5trategy on the part of
premier Stain not to snow his hand un-
I'll the Nazis have been expelled from
Russia and Hitler has been crushed be-
yond repair. But so far as the American
leaders and the American people are
concerned we can see no sign whatever
that after the destruction of Hitler Rus
sla will join us in destroying Hirohito.
There are even no indications that we
will be allowed to use the Siberian bases
particularly those in Kamchatka and the
Maritime Provinces for an attack against
the japanese.
Russia is strictly neutral in the Amer
1can-B n-Britlsh-Japanese war and as far as
we know she intends to remain SO for
some time. Strategy cannot be based on
"lsh1ul thinking. Hence our strategists
must exclude the U. S. S. R. from our
calculations of defeating Japan.
Under these circumstances it is obvious
that while our principal associates have
only one-front war, we have on our
hands at this moment two-front war.
Churchill Explained Strategy.
1t would pe useless to argue that we
must change our plans and go against
Japan with the bulk of our forces. This
is no longer possible and everybody, even
the most determined advocates of such a
strategy, admit that we must cooperate
with our Allies and defeat Hitler first,
Whether the strategy adopted in jan
nary, 1912, by the British and American
leaders in Washington was wise or not.
only history will tell.