Evening star., 1943-10-22

members of the lY
House listened David Lawrence.
to the story and saw the charts and
films prepared by the General Staff
of the Army. Then the entire Sen
ate spent a whole afternoon listen
ing to the same presentation.
Nothing like it has occurred before
during this war or the last war,
The idea is to furnish facts and
figures frst-hand so that the
legislators can see what the problem
of beating the Axis really is
Virtually the same presentation
was made to about 200 industrialists
editors of newspapers and magazines
and radio executives. They were
impressed as are members of Con-
gress with the enormous task in
volved in an invasion OF Europe in
winning the air war over Germany.
and the battle for control Of the
Pacific. Il
Unless one sees the whole global
war and is given the essential facts
as to the strength of our enemies.
there is q tendency to become too
much sWayed by the daily report of
victories or engagements which nat
urally reveal our forces to be making
progreSS-but not the climactic pro-
gress that precedes an immediate
triumph.
Note of Caution.
All through the presentations runs
a note OF caution and sometimes
pessimiSm. But just the same there
is nowhere the slightest doubt ex-
pressed about ultimate victory being
ours.
Wishful thinking is a natural
thing in times when the story of
Americas remarkable industrial
production is being more and more
revealed. But at the same time
Americans have tendency to dis
parage or underestimate the des-
perate efforts being made by Japan
and Germany to prolong this war in
the hope Of getting at least stale
mate and negotiated peace.
None of our leaders speaks of
anything but complete triumph. 1t
Is conceded that a collapse of Ger
man morale might come any day
through an internal revolution, but
there are no signs of it as yet and
our military leaders are anxious |
that Congress and the press and |
industry think realistically in terms
Of what is likely to happen rather
than what might possibly happen. !
Our air war, for instance, is in the
midst of its most decisive stages.
Our efforts to knock the German
fighter planes out Of the air and at
the same time to destroy German
fighter plane factories are costing
us heavily, but We are making prog
ress. 1t is stage in the war which
will not be over in few weeks. It
is a period which will be attended
by great anxiety and possibly by
heavier losses than we have seen
to date.
Invasion to Be Costly.
As for the land invasion which
doubtless will come when the air
war has achieved its principal OBJ
Jectives, there is no denying that
1t will be costly in manpower.
All this is not being told by our
military men to bring about any
pessimistic frame of mind on the
part Of our legislators or among
molders Of opinion, but to keep
the home front from letting down
Its efforts, to maintain existing
schedules and actually to strain hard
70 increase them.
Gen. Marshall had with him in all
these secret sessions his aides, who
in business-like way presented the
facts Internationally and yet per-
suasively. The general himself is
about the most universally liked
man In the whole war, not only in
Congress but in the National Capi-
tai. His personality has impressed
itself on all parties. He has a pres
tige which few men in all our his
tory have ever attained. He has the
faculty Of ready speech and direct
ness. He is frank and, above all.
convincing. But his method is to
tell as much of the truth as possible
for he has no ak to grind, no
causes to eXpound and no ambitions
to attain. He has only the deep and
earnest desire to coordinate our
military effort and get for it the
maximum support Of the civilians
in high places and low-so that vic
tory may be ours at the earliest pos
sible moment.
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