Detroit evening times., 1943-08-25
The
War Today
Japs Lose Gamble
As u. S. Fights q
Two-Ocean War
By JACK VINCENT
errstionsl Nsu, Ssr,te, Wsr Ansiyst

Isterustionsl Nsvs SeDtes VA Anslv''
JAPAN LOST rs biggest
gamble of the war with the an
nouncemcnt nv President RooSe-
NeIt and PRIME NTniSI6f CNuTCi-
IN that their conferences al
Quebec had turn cd very
largely upon the war against
jaPsfi
The japanese. a. The tIrUe Of
the sneak punch against Pearl
HArbor. gsn7hied that the Unit
ed States could not fight two
ocean war and that America
could rot carry out an offensive
IN the Pacific while helping
Britain battle Germany and
italy in Europe.
The strategy az the enemy
proved correct during the early
part ~ hoStilitleS when the Al
Tres were forCrd 70 f1Ct7t delay
ing actions IN the Pacific until
they could aUCT Cnt their
strength.
THE UNITED STATES he
gan its first major thrust at
Japan last August when II IN
vaded Guadalcsnal hut even
there the army and navy lacked
much Of the sHFPlfe--they
needed.
The ACKNOWLEDGMENT pro-
nouncement in Canada revealed,
however, that the tide Of the
war had turned. that the United
Nations now have enough ships
planes, munitions and men to
fight a two-oCean war.
AS matter of fact, II has
been reported that there are
now two and a half million long
tons Of war commodities IN
warehouses along the east and
west coasts ready 10 he shipped
our Allies as part OF the lend
lease program.
THIS DOES not include ma
terials stored for use OF L. :.
combat forces.
Naval experts have declared
that L. s. productive capacity
has reached the point where, IN
four months. il can build a COM
bat naval tonnage equal to all
the combat ships that this
country possessed AZ the time
Of Pearl Harbor. This means
that in four months the United
States could replace It's entire
feet as il was at the outbreak
Of the war.
The fact that the Churchill
Roosevelt meeting was pri-
marily devoted TO the Pacific
war also brought the promise
that Canada would furnish
large expediuonary forces 10
Fight against the Japs. Even as
the announcement was made IN
Quebec. il was known that
strong L. s. naval task forces
already were in the Pacific
ready 10 make new -thrusts at
Japan.
MILITARY OBSERVERS in
Washington have expressed
keen interest over whether de-
tailed plans were made At the
conference for an offensive in
the north Pacific now that the
Aleutians are completely back
In L.. s. hands. There was spec
ulation over whether Siberia,
which is Russian territory, fig-
ured in the talks
Bases in Siberia would place
L. S. bonbers within easy crulS-
ing range Of Japan'S important
northern industrial areas
Even without Siberian bases,
japanese territory still would
be open 10 assaults from the
United Nations from four diff
ferent directions.
IMPORTANT j AP ANESE
bases in the northern Kurile
Islands are now within bombing
range of American planes on
Attu in the AleutianS.
Strong l.. s. naval task
forces. using Hawaii as a base.
also are on the prowl for Japs
In the central Pacific. while
Gen. MacArthurs forces. aided
by Australians and New Zea-
landerS are pushing up from
the South. Al the same time, AL
lied armies are poised ready 10
strike along the Burma border
Meanwhile. the Japs were re-
ported growing somewhat short
on merchant tonnage. This was
evidenced by the fact that in
moving troops and supplies in
the Pacific they are depending
more and more on harCpg