Evening star., 1943-10-04

most concentrated and interpreted
war in historv-in print. by radio
even on the screen. In launching an
other column of war comment, l feel
that few words of explanation are,
therefore, in order
I trust I shall not be misunder-
stood when l state that this chore is
undertaken as duty. Rightly or
wrongly, l am convinced that air
power has become the dominant
force not only in gaining victory
but in shaping the peace thereafter.
Under these circumstances it seems
to me vital that all Americans should
understand this new force, so that
they may make the most effective
use of it now and later.
It is in the hope of contributing to
a more general understanding that
this series of dispatches is being
started There is an air power
angle" to every major event on the
battlefronts and the home front,
and even more SO to every discus
sion of the postwar world. That is
the 'angle" this column Will Try to
explore and explain.
Modern aviation bulks too large
to remain a professional secret 1t
is destined to affect the life of every
individual too deeply TO be left in
confusion, distorted by ignorance, or
buried in technical mumbojumbo.
In the United States we have the
best technical basis and the greatest
creative talents for leadership in the
skies, but we have not vet harnessed
this terrific force. Remarkable as
the progress Of our aeronautics has
been. it is the product of the natural
dynamics of aviation. That progress
has come despite the fact that its
development has been haphazardly
scattered among the various de-
partment of our Army, Navy, Ma
rines, Coast Guard. Civil Aeronau-
tics. etc. It's administration has
been as illogical as if the organlza-
ton and operation of railroads had
been handed over to coachmen.
We have nothing equivalent to the
British Air Ministry-a body vested
with the authority to guide the ma
ton in the development OF its air
power. Until we do have such an
organiZa ton we are bound to find
ourselves trailing instead OF leading
In spite of our chronological advan-
tages and the skill Of our personnel.
Information Is Second Hand.
AS one of the results of this Situa-
ton. Americans are getting then in
formation about the role of air power
almost entirely at second hand. fiji
tered through Army and Navy minds
Nearly all our military interpreters
and commentators are either soldiers
and sailors themselves. or brought
up in that tradition. Besides, they
are dependent largely on Army and
Navy pipelines"
1t is no accident therefore that so
much military comment displays a
strange eagerness to save face" for
traditional strategy and weapons;
and a reluctance to COnCede that
some of these have been outmoded
by scientific progress.
Some time ago battleShlp in the
Pacific succeeded in surviving a con-
centrated air attack. That episode
was blown up in press reports, maga-
zine pieces and a full book It was
not explained, however that the
ability of a battleship to survive is
not an enc in itself, when the rest
of the task force can be easily de-
stroyed by air power
ROma's Sinking Ignored.
On the other hand. when one of
the most modern battleShipS. the
Roma, was sunk recently by a single
bomb in a few minutes. the event
was virtually ignored by the mill
tary writing fraternity. Both items
of news have. as a matter Of course,
been reported essentially from
naval standpoint.
In the battle of E. Alamein, as
every one knows, the infantry did
magnificent job Of clearing the
ground. This fact was impressed
on the public mind by Army COM
muniques. But only the best in
formed are aware that the victory
at El Alamein was made possible
by air power, which protected our
own supply lines and cut German
supply lines. leaving Rommel high
and dry. 1t was air power that
enabled us to build up a siN-to-one
superiority in men and machines
which made Allied success inevi-
table.
These are only examples of how
differently war events look when
viewed from the ground upward
through the eyes of tradition, and
from the skies downward through
the eyes of modern aviation. 1t is
supremely important that the Amer
ican people should not be limited
In their appraisal of developments
to two -dimenslonal view. Only if
they are given also the third di-
menSion, the aeronautiCal interpre-
tation. can they appreciate the true
relations among the military forces.
Air Power Called Key to Victory.
Air power will win the war for us.
even though it is still being used
fumblingly and despite the fact that
only small fraction of the full
aviation potential is as vet being
exploited And air power will also
condition the peace. 1t is emerging