Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-12

eCAA oAACail w OllltCQ NdtlOllS SIllp-
ping, cutting the distance from
American East Coast ports to the
Middle East, Southern Russia and
India by about 5000 miles. Despite
Axis possession of SARDINIA and
Sicily, it is believed that Allied air
power-freed of combat RESPONSE
bilities in Tunisia-can control the
skies over those enemy airbases and
discourage attacks on shipping.
The time saved on the shorter
run equals hundreds of thousands
of new tons of shipping space. This
applies equally to cruisers and
destroyers used in convoy duty and
as a result some may be shifted to
the Pacific or used to protect North
Atlantic conveys.
Reopening the Mediterranean also
would permit abundant oil supplies
under British control in the Middle
East to replace American shipments
to North Africa This should relieve
the drain on United States East
Coast reserves, ease the demands on
tanker space and allow increases,
where necessary, in gasoline and oil
shipments to England.
Since shipping is the key to United
Nations power in any single war
theater, experts said the strain of
speeding the Pacific campaign will
thus be greatly eased.
Informed but unofficial opinion
here is that one of the first major
Pacific strokes may be an American
sea-air drive to throw the Japanese
off Kiska and Attu Islands at the
western tip of the Aleutians.
Plane Output Cited.
This would clear the way for air
attacks-and possibly naval raids
against japanese bases in the
Kuriles Islands north OF Japan and
might furnish the jumping-off point
for long distance air raids on
Toxic by new super-bombers. These
are understood to be capable Of
making the 4000-mile round trip or
of flying on across Japan to Ameri-
lean bases in inland China.
This possibility was underscored
by Mr.. Roosevelt's expressed con-
viction at yesterdays press confer
ence that the United States now Is
producing more planes than all the
rest of the world, and his assertion
that stress now is being placed on
turning out relatively more null
tiple-engined bombers, long-range
fighters and cargo planes for often
sive action. BY comparison of
weights, he disclosed estimates that
this years plane output will more
than triple 1925.
Such things may be settled-if
they are not already-at this meet
ing of the American and British
leaders, and the japanese are not
alone in their anxiety over the con-
ference. Although this meeting fol-
lowed fewer rumors than ever before,
Hltlers Berlin radio was cropping
for clues up to the last minute.
Less than two hours before the
White House announcement last
night, it declared that Mr.. Churchill
was attending a large conference
OF all prominent military and civilian
men in the Near East being held at
Cairo
The five meetings of President
Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Churchill in less than two years
might we'll serve history as mile
stones of this war.
When they shook hands aboard
the American cruiser Atlanta off
the Newfoundland coast on August
9, 194l, Britain had survived the
blacklist days of the Nazi all-out
bombing raids Out of that meeting
came the Atlantic charter.
Twenty-four hours after the Unit
ed States exchanged declarations of
war with Germany and Italy in the
week that followed December 7, 194l
Mr.. Churchill left London for WASH
ington arriving December %.
Mr. Churchill returned six months
later, June 18, 1912, and the talk
then was that he was seeking more
aid in Libya to battle Field Marshal
Erwin Rommel. The Allies were on
the defensive in. most theaters
That may have been the turning
point. for it was then that the North
African invasion was planned
though it was some five months
Undertaking..
When the two met again In
Casablanca, January Ia, 1943, North
Africa had become Johnny Dough-
boys new stamping grounds.
There. the President and Prime
Minister mapped plans for 1913
offensives, agreed that nothing but
unconditional surrender" of the
Axis would end the war and settled
some political problems stemming
from the invasion.
Today they confer again, and that
unconditional surrender" has been
taking place in Tunisia