Evening star., 1943-08-18
Quebec
Continued From First Page.)


of the city to the parade ground of
the Citadel for brief official welcom-
ing ceremonies, then devoted the
evening to relaxation as the dinner
guest, with MIR. Churchill and Mr..
King of the Earl of Athlone, Gov
ernor General of the Dominion.
But there were no social amenities
on the war conference schedule to-
day.
Back Of plans for any new attacks
are tremendous problems in the
realm Of transport and supply prob
lens. These gave point to the pres
ence in Quebec of Harry L. Hopkins,
lease-lend administrator; Averill
Hartman, American lease-lend
supervisor in London; Isadore Lubin,
who assists Mr.. Hopkins, and Lewis
Douglas, deputy war shipping ad-
ministrator. Admiral William D..
Leahy, the Presidents chief Of staff,
also was on hand.
All through last night, as for many
days before. lights blazed among the
turrets and towers Of the Chateau
Frontenac, where the highest rank
ing military, naval and air COM
manders of Britain and the United
States and their technical staffs
toiled on new blueprints of action
against foes already rocked by bit
ter defeats in Africa, Sicily, Russia
and the Pacific.
What fresh and shattering blows
were being prepared in that massive,
vigilantly guarded building none
but those who help shape the plans
could know. Staff officers by the
hundreds, who have labored over
preparatory details for days, rarely
are seen outside the quarters they
occupy as guests OF the Canadian
government.
The President heard new glad
tidings from the Sicilian war as his
special train rumbled toward Que
bee yesterday. Word of the taking
Of Messina by American troops
reached him en- route, and aides
said he was stirred by news that
Allied forces now are bare two
miles across the Messina Strait
from the Italian walls of the Axis
fortress in Europe.
The war news was no less bright
from Russia, where deadly blows at
overextended Nazi battle lines are
falling now and Red armies are
lunging westward. 1t was touched
with new and significant Allied vic
tories in the Pacific, where Gen.
Douglas MacArthur's forces by
passed one Japanese island and
trapped its defenders by quick cap
ture of another, Vella Lavella, and
so threaten the last major japanese
base in the Solomons.
All these victories offer new fac
tors Of consequence to the war plan
ners in Quebec. They would appear
to call for bold tactics and relent-
less aggression to maintain and
amplify the growing pressure on the
enemy on all fronts until the Anal
crackup comes.
War planning in modern times Is
a tedious business, As shown by the
Quebec assembly.
A war plan does not spring full
blown from the brains of the high
command. 1t Is slowly compounded
by the labor Of scores of officers
equipped by training and experience
for each detailed phase of the opera
ton. That was brought out yester-
day in press conference with two
members of the American planning
staff, whose eyes were heavy from
days and nights of unceasing pre-
paratory work. They were Capt
Gordon Hutchins of the Navy and
Col. Emmett ODonnell of the Army
Air Force.
They styled themselves pick and
shovel men" of the conference. Both
wear decorations for valor and dis
tinguished service. They came to
Quebec on urgent calls from higher
authority to build up information
needed for the next steps.
Ultimately all this mass of data
comes from the hands of top-rank-
ing officers of the two nations, the
four star generals and the Admirals,
American and British, who comprise
the joint staff committee.
The final plans and alternatives
are shaped there for presentation to
the two men whose yes or no Is the
deciding word, whose approval will
one day launch against the enemy
new masses Of ground troops and
new sea and sky fleets.