Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-14
Months Of Preparation
Bring Victory Nearer
BIZ MAI. George Fielding Eliot.

Writing this column on July 10, take
note of the fact that the United States
now has been an active belligerent In
the Second World War for exactly the
same length of time that We were an
active belligerent In the First World War
"a little over 10 months. In l9l7-l8, 10
months was SUFFICIENT to see us advance
from almost complete unpreparedness to
become the decisive force In the accom-
plishment OF victory, with two million
soldiers in France, two million more I'M
der arms at home and powerful Navy
protecting our lines of seaborne commu-
nications In between.
In 1899, We were far better prepared
than we were in 1917, yet 10 months sees
us only beginning to turn the scale In
the direction Of victory.
The basic reason for this is, OF course.
the fact that we are fighting two enemies
instead Of one; that We must divide our
efforts between Germany and Japan. 1t
has taken us 10 months to build up our
bases and our lines Of communications,
to repair the losses OF Pearl Harbor to
drive the enemy from some Of his more
menacing outpost positions-in a word,
to set the stage for the great offensive
In Europe while taking such dispositions
as shall prevent the Japanese from
doing US further damage until their
turn arrives.
These 10 months have, on the whole,
been months Of tremendous accomplish
ment, Of which We may well be proud.
We have modified the resources OF our
Nation for war as they never have been
modified before. We have built up .
feet, an Army, an air power such as We
have never before possessed in all our
history. We have created an enormous
merchant shipping and a huge air trans
port system to take our fighting power to
the distant bases from which 1t can be
employed against our enemies. BY these
means, we have transported over seas
vast quantities Of men and Of material.
At the end Of 10 months we do not 1t
Is true, find ourselves victorious. But We
do find ourselves on the offensive in
both our major theaters OF war.
We and our Allies have driven the
enemy completely from the soil Of Africa.
In so doing, an American commander in
chief-an off1cer whose permanent rank
is only that Of lieutenant colonel Of in
fantry--has succeeded In welding to-
gether and commanding as single
mighty instrument OF war American,
British and French land, naval and air
5orcss With &his nm q ~ q r,t he y,ou, has
launched the greatest combined opera
ton Of history and stands today on
enemy soil. The first phases OF this new
operation have been brilliantly success
full.
From their bases in Great Britain.
American bombing squadrons are taking
an increasing part in the greatest air
offensive that has ever been seen since
the airplane first became an instrument
Of warfare. The strength Of this Ameri-
can Air Force is growing day by day.
In the Pacific we are driving the
enemy from his island outposts, one by
one. We have so shattered his air power
that the day may not be far distant
when he can mo longer oppose us in the
skies ut all We have rebuilt naval
strength which was shaken sadly by the
initial Japanese success at Pearl Harbor,
and we have defeated the enemy's naval
forces in every contest into which we
could draw them. Our submarines are
taking an increasing toll Of Japanese
man submarine menace Is, At least for
the time being, definitely checked.
Meanwhile We have, to the limit Of our
powers. supplied our British. Russian
and Chinese Allies with weapons, food
and stores.
American air forces are fighting in
China, in Burma, and in the Middle
East American air and naval bases are
scattered over the face of the globe.
American merchant shipping, guarded
by American warships and aircraft
maintain the far-nung lines OF commu-
nications that criss-cross every ocean
and form the life-giving arteries Of this
whole vast system of war.
We have not done all this alone. Very
far from it. Indeed our Allies have
borne the chief burden of this war and
suffered far more grievous losses than
we. What we have done so far is mostly
in the way of preparation. 1t is only
during the last few months that We have
been on the offensive seriously. 1t is
scarcely yesterday that the first Ameri-
can soldiers set foot on actual enemy
territory.
The measure Of the enormous task
still before us may be taken by recalling
that 1t has taken us as long to get
through the preparatory stages Of this
war as 1t took US to win through to
final victory in the last one.
Last time the entry Of America into
the lists proved decisive OF the result.
This time 1t will be likewise but the cost
in blood and treasure will be far greater,
and from now on we, ourselves, will be
paying out those costs in ever increasing
degree until, at last, We and our Allies
stand again victorious over the powers
of evil
1t will be no easy victory. Perhaps
its very cost will teach us how to make
better use of it than we did the last time.
(Copyright, 1913. New York Tribune, Ine)