Evening star., 1943-09-29
War Realities

A conference of some 200 leaders
OF industry, labor and the press,
aptly described as "the Nations Ci-
william General Staff" and now in
session here, was fed SOLDERING yet
salutary diet Of factual brass tacks"
day before yesterday by top flight
officials OF the War Department.
These key personalities will return to
their homes throughout the country
with clear picture of the war situa-
ton painted in starkly realistic tones
unlimited with the roseate hue of
pollyanna optimism and wishful
thinking. The actual addresses were
OF the record" but the edited ver-
sion released to the public by the
department leaves no doubt as to
what the full context must have been.
The cooperative survey unfolded
to this distinguished audience by a
group of military experts under the
Craftsmanship of Robert P Patterson,
Undersecretary of War, emphasizes
from various angles the grim truth
that our enemies are far from beaten.
that the armies and air forces of
both Germany and Japan are larger
than at the start of the war, and that
there is no real prospect of an early
collapse by either of them The
surrender of Italy has weakened
Germany only to minor degree,
while our recent victories in Europe
and the Pacific have not vitality i'm
paired the enemy's strength.
The most extensive analysis was
that made by Major General George
v. Strong, Chief of Army Intelligence.
On the basis of his unrivaled knowl-
edge, General Strong stated that the
Luftwaffe, despite its losses, is larger
today than 1t was in 1899, while the
Reichswehr has replaced its huge
casualties in Russia and now has 800
well-trained divisions with the col
ors-approximateyly 100000 men,
not counting satellite troops. As for
the German home front, the civilian
food ration is higher in calory con-
tent than in 1889, so the mass NAL
nutrition which chiefly broke Ger
man resistance in the last war can
be ruled out this time. AS for Japan,
General Strong admitted that she is
growing stronger and cannot easily
be beaten even If Germany should
drop out of the war. Japan has
100000 men of military age who
have not yet been called to the colors
because they have not been needed,
and has almost 100000 more po-
tential soldiers in the seventeen
twenty age group not now subject to
the draft. Japanese air strength is
on the upgrade. Losses have been
replaced and the air force is improv-
ing both in quality and numbers.
Civilian morale is unshaken and ca
pacity for sacrifice seems almost
limitIess.
Lieutenant General Joseph r. Nc
Narney, Deputy Chief of Staff, pre-
sented relatively cheering evidence
of the effectiveness of the Allied air
war against the Reich, which has
curtailed industrial and war produc-
tion, "de-housed" 100000 persons,
lowered morale, and compelled
shift from bomber to fighter planes,
which is convincing evidence that
the German high command has
abandoned hope of winning COM
plete victory and is now aiming at a
stalemate through prolonged defense.
Nevertheless, the German war ma
chine is still so formidable that the
toughest and bloodiest stages of the
war lie ahead, which will entail losses
visualized by General Strong as so
heavy that they will be felt in every
town and every village of the United
States"
All the speakers, who included
General George C. Marshall, Army
Chief of Staff, and General Henry H.
Arnold, Chief of the Army Air
Forces, stressed the fact that victory
could be attained by us only by
throwing our last ounce of energy
into the struggle, with no relaxation
of effort at any moment. "The main
advantage we have" said General
Strong, is our ability to produce the
weapons of war If. through our un-
willingness to face the facts, we give
up this advantage, we may find our
opportunity for victory has escaped
us permanently"