Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-08
Our Allies Listen In

Perhaps the most attentive
portion Of the Worldwide radio
audience which followed President
Roosevelt's address to the new Con-
eress was to be found outside our
borders among the many lands and
peoples who are our Allies in the
war. Most Of them have the par
llamentary system, where their
political leaders, being directly re-
SponSlble to the legislatures, fire.
quently address those bodies on
their official policies. Under our
form of government, the President
is required to do this only once
year in his report to Congress on
the state of the Nation.
Ours being re-eminently a war
period, Mr. Roosevelt was bound to
devote most of his speech to the
overshadoWing topic of the day. This
he did in a broad survey of the
wars evolution during the past year,
together with general indications of
our grand strategy, policies and
prospects. 1t was those portions of
his address which were most eagerly
awaited abroad
Broadly speaking, well-informed
foreign listeners heard about what
they had expected to hear. From
the very start of our participation
in the World War, it has been evil
dent that the weight of our war
effort has been thrown against the
European end of the Axis. The in
eScapable deduction from the PreSi-
dents address is that this overall
strategy will be continued during
the current year. Mr.. Roosevelt
forecast relentless hammering of
Germany and Italy by land, sea and
air, in conjunction with Britain and
Russia, including concentric attacks
on Hltler's European fortress" from
perhaps several unspecified points.
He even intimated the possibility
that this sustained assault might
eliminate in decisive victory within
the life of the new Congress; that is,
within the next two years. That is
undoubtedly causing deep satisfac-
ton IN London and Moscow, typified
by the broad smile on the face of
Maxim Litvinov, the Soviet Ambas-
Sador, as he listened from the dip
lomatic gallery to the Presidents
emphatic phrases.
The joy in Chungking and Cam
berra, however, may not be so
unconfined, because the President
indicated no similar grand offensive
in the Far East and the Pacific for
the immediate future. The best he
could forecast was a shift from
defensive to additionally offensive
tactics designed to wear down
Japan's strength and thus pave the
way for an ultimate assault on the
heart of japanese power.
1t is to be doubted that this will
content either China or Australia,
whose official criticisms of what they
deem our insufficient efforts against
Japan are becoming more and more
outSpoken. Their contention is that,
unless Japan is prevented from con-
solidating her huge conquests and
exploiting their vast natural re-
sources, japanese power will become
so formidable that it may become
impregnable to attacks from enemies
partially exhausted in the task of
crushing the European end of the
Axis and preoccupied in the ensuing
postwar settlements of Europe and
the Near East
Such differences of viewpoint are
unacceptable in a global war, wherein
each of the participants inevitably
puts its special needs first on the
list. Vast though America s resources
may be, they are not unlimited.
Some strategic scheme of apportion-
ment must be made, and thereafter
adhered to- Our Government is
obviously determined on continuing
its basic decisions concerning the
conduct of the war It cannot sat-
isfy all its Allies in equal measure.
The best that can be done is to see
the war picture as d whole and
maintain the best practicable bal
ance under fluctuating circum-
stances.