The Western news., 1943-07-15
Gs5d5Z:|591 0:2:55
When Will War End? 4
Nation S No. | Question
Ruhr Valley Bombings Seen as Concrete Evil
dence of Germany's Inevitable Defeat;
Aviation Expert Revses Estimate.
WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, d. c.
BY BAUKHAGE
Neus analyst and Commentator.

WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, D. c.
Today Washington, deep as it is in
the problems of the moment-on the
home front and along the seething
globe-scattered sectors where our
men are fghting-is more deeply
conscious of the future than ever
before in history And that feeling
is clearly reflected in every town,
city and crossroads in the country.
The letters | receive express this
interest in tomorrow. the many polls
on postwar problems and the plans
to solve them echo that interest. the
comment of leaders. the organlza-
tion of clubs and forums and COM
mittees to discuss them, add up
to the largest and healthiest curl
osity that the nation has ever seen.
The political parties recognize this
and the Republicans are busy work
ing on a constructive foreign-p policy
plank for their 1914 platform to
meet the administrators postwar
plans.
AS the people look toward tomor-
row. the first thing they ask is:
when will the war end?" You cant
get an official prognostication on
that subject and. personally, would
hesitate even to make guess. But
this week, there came to my notice
two remarks, one from the German
propaganda minister and one from
the president of an American avia-
ton corporation which | want to
place fguratively in parallel col
umns-not only side by side with
each other but in balance with pre-
vious remarks of both men.
GoebbeIs' Viewpoint
Some time ago, Herr Goebbels
spoke of "the Ruhr,' that little oin-
dustrial area including the historic
center Of Germany's munitions
manufacture, the Krupp works of
Essen.
Goebbels was on record as say
ing that the destiny of the Ruhr
was the destiny of Germany itself.
And then only few days ago. a
broadcaster from Berlin admitted
that the "havoc" wrought by the
Allied bombers in that area was in
credible"
The other gentleman whom wish
to quote is r. S. Damon, president
of the Republic Aviation corpora
tion, which builds those famous PAT
"Thunderbolts, the fighters which
have done such an efficient job of
protecting our bombers over Eu-
rope.
Some time ago Damon predicted
that Germany would be knocked out
of the war by 1914 But Mr.. Damon
has now revised that estimate. He
says.
"Unpreparedness may have cost
us many early rounds but now it
appears possible that Germany will
have been removed from the lists
by the end of 1943. I believe this
to be true because no nation, not
even Hitler's Germany, can suffer
the rate of attrition which is now
being inflicted on the Nazis and sur
vive for long The aerial combat
box scores are now SO definitely in
our favor and our constantly in
creasing production of fine aircraft
and well-trained airmen precludes
any possibility of those scores being
reduced unless by a miracle, and
the days of Hitler's miracles have
ceased to be. Our air forces are now
Systematically and literally pulver-
izing the industrial centers of Ger
many and without her industries,
Germany cannot fight or even ex-
ist.
Mind you, | do not underwrite this
prophecy but I think it is worth re-
cording because both men have re-
vised their views in the direction Of
a shorter War--Goebbels would new
er have dwelt on the Importance Of
the Ruhr in the beginning if he knew
he would have to admit the degree
OF its destruction-Damon, after
similar consideration, reduces the
time he believes it will take to
knock Germany out.
Auiafion's GroWth
In both cases, we have a tribute
To tire tremendous growth Of AnIgri-
can combatant airpower Now let
us look at the parallel growth in
non-combatant airpoWer. We turn
to no less an authority than the
Office of War Information:
by l945, it is expected that trans
port planes in the 100, 000-l20, ,000-
pound class will be flying in guam
tity, carrying loads of Is tons at a
speed of $50 miles per hour over