Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-17

COME time ago, very able American
- soldier, Gen. Somerve made forcefu
address in the East in defense of the army
supply system against various charges of
neglect.
Under the final organization of army dlrec-
ton that Gen. George Marshall made last
winter there were three subordinate COM
mands created comprising all army forces
everywhere. One was command of the land
forces to which Gen. McNair, who was recently
wounded in Tunsia, was assigned; one was
the American air force wherever training
operating under Gen. Arnold; and the third
was a command over the entire system of
army supply placed under the command Of
Gen. Somervell.
Gen. Sorhervell made very strong afirma
ton that not one Of an enumerated list of
theaters Of operation-one of which was Gen.
MacArthur's theater, had been undersupplied
or the victim Of inattention. His statements
were reassuring and, l am sure, entirely
genuine.
But he went on to state another viewpoint
which l would eeepi=unless =With= linaita==
tons.
He made reference to the activities Of arm
chair strategists and beauty parlor tacticans.
which in a way seemed to deny TO people not
in official position the right to examine and
criticize military operations or offer their sug
gestions. | think this is not sound ground
for a general to stand upon.
THIS is an old problem in war and it in
i cludes several questions: Should the con-
duct of war be left exclusively to the fight
ing forces?
Should military operations be subordinated
to the judgment and direction of>th civil
government, and if So to what degree should
the Chief Executive issue instructions TO ad-
mirals 'of the fleets and captains of the
armies
Should the general public follow the course
Of war with sufficient attention to be able
to pronounce upon the wisdom and skill of
both military leaders and the governing
bodies?
This is not only an old problem, but il is
one which has been somewhat violently dis
cussed both during wars and after their end
ing II is problem which should be gen.
orally understood and if possible, generally
agreed upon but have the impression, also,
that the American people has never thought
this problem through and defined what its
own attitude should be.
MY ONLY excuse for trying to offer sug-
lVA gestons upon matter which it is very
important for us to understand and decide
is that over a period now of As years in
which have followed the course of four wars
in which we were engaged, ] have reflected
a great deal upon it, and have tried to get
light from the histories Of war and from the
personal experiences of leaders in these wars.
While many details of the problem do not
lend themselves to definite conclusions think
there are some general principles that would
be accepted both by foremost political leaders
and the most successful commanders them
selves.
WarfaHe comprises several things. Military
Technology distinguishes tactics" or the art.
Of commanding and leading troops after bat
tie is actually engaged; and strategy" the
art of moving and handling troops before
battle is engaged in, with the general object
Of determining the place time and conditions
OF battle so that ones own troops may fight