The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-04-02
WAR CHIEF SAYS U. S. REQUIRES
II MILLION MEN TO WHIP AXIS;
HOME FRONT MUST BE ADJUSTED
Patterson Claims Nazis Have Is Million Men at Their
Command; Jap Also Strong in Pacific Area.


Questions raised in recent
weeks as to whether America
shall have the army Of 8, 200, 900
men which it's military leader
ship has determined to be the
minimum with which we can
expect to defeat our enemies
have not, it seems to me, given
due consideration to military
necessity.
We are out to win this war.
The nation has entrusted the re-
sponsibility for this victory to it's
military leaders. This leader
ship-the joint chiefs of staff OF
the army and navy, after the
most careful analysis of our enc
mics strength, has decided that
we must build an armed force
of approximately 1000, 600,
which includes an army OF 81
200, 900 for 194344.
Our own men have been in
contact only with the smallest OF
the Axis armies-a part OF its
Tunisian force of less than a
quarter of a million men. But
the striking force of this power
full foe has already been felt by
our, troops.
The German field armies are
assisted by more than one mill
lion men in serni-military organ
izations, such as the military po-
lice, engineers, and supply de-
pots, which in our army are in
cluded among service troops.
Reliable sources indicate that the
combined number of those in the
German and Italian armed forces
and those directly assisting them
runs well over IS million. 1t is evil
dent at this point that the superiori-
ty of our enemies in the European
theater is of ominous proportions.
A similar analysis in the Pacific
area does not brighten the picture.
The Japanese army exceeds by
many divisions the forces that the
United Nations have been able to
equip and place in opposition.
Yet the United Nations, and par
ticularly this country, have the po-
tentia1 power to overcome this nu-
merical superiority. These potenti-
alities must be converted to actuali-
ty. They must be harnessed and
driven toward single goal, the de-
feat of our enemies. In that drive
our country, the latest of the ma
jor powers to enter the war, must
play the most important part.
Army Determines Size After
Careful Study of Its Needs
Offensive action requires superb
ority in numbers. This is the reason
we need an army of $500, 900 includ-
ing officers by the end of this year.
The navy, the marines and the coast
guard need $500, 900 this year. That
makes total of 10000, 900 men and
women that must be in the armed
forces by the end of this year. This
will be less than 8R per cent of our
total population. Thirteen and a
half per cent of the German popula-
ton is in the armed forces.
Ten million, eight hundred thou
sand is not figure pulled out Of
hat. It is the requirement deter
mined by those charged with the
heavy responsibility of winning this
war.
General Marshall says that we
need SO many planes and SO many
tanks to win the war. Is there any
one in America who would question
his Judgment? Admiral King says
that we need so many escort ships
and destroyers to beat the Axis. Is
there anyone in America who would
question his judgment? The expert
views OF our military leaders are ac-
cepted on our needs for guns and
ships. Why should anyone question
their judgment as to the number of
men that they need to use these
weapons and man these ships?
The stats of the army and the
navy under General Marshall and
Admiral King, in full possession Of
the facts, have made the military
decision that a force this size is
necessary to win the war. Our Com
mander-in-Chief, the President of
the United States, has approved this
program. 1t is Americas answer to
the Axis. The Axis, assure you,
does not like that answer.
In making this decision full ac-
count has been taken of the ability
Of American industry and labor and
agriculture to produce the supplies
C+ar4oJ To-,