The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-02-15
. Clapper

~
Whers Do We 60 After
The Shooting stops7
Roosevelt Doing Good
Job IN the War
But We Need Leadership
IN Whsf Is 70 Come
Danger Of Third War
Still Impends
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
WAsHN0ToN-It seems Tn
eonsiderate 10 Be asking Presi-
dent Roosevelt to do more than
he h doing. Yet something IL
badly needed which only he can
do. The country needs TO have
put into focus its thinking about
what Is to come out of the war.
A babel Of talk Ii creating dam
gerous confusion and misunder-
standing.
here Rep. Clare Luce
warns In the house of repre-
eentatfves that our govern
ment n about to surrender
control Of the air. But In
Lo1don members rise In the
house Of commons demand
ing TO know whether the
British government In sur
rendering its mr. rights.
Vice President Wallace writes
. magazine article about free
dom Of the air. although there
lint yet a ghost Of a govern
ment policy about any of this.
Nor much Of anything else aside
from the military program. FL
mer Davis has an enormous
propaganda setup. but he has
nothing authoritative TO talk
about except the four freedoms.
because there isn't any govern
ment policy about what is to come
out of the war.
I am not trying 70 be captious.
Mr.. Roosevelt has more TO do In
"a hours than a human being
should be expected to do. And
on the military side he II doing
Il well.
This n not . piece about
how everything n going
wrong, because / don't think
everything II going wrong.
On the contrary. most of 10
h going exceedingly well.
The war n moving fast ana
favorably. don't find victory
over Germany expected this year.
but II II considered very likely
next year. The Russians are
wounding the Germans deeply
but another wallop or two may
be left In the German army and
air force. Hitler will never get
the Caucasus. This year probably
win bring some other big victories
over Germany. Turkey may come
into the war on our side--its q
reasonable hope at least.
The Germans are going to be
Knocked out of Africa. Tunisia
may be all ours In another six
weeks. Secretary Of War Slim
son says we must be prepared for
easulties there very soon. which
II another way of saying that we
are about ready to go into action.
The powerfully squipped British
Eighth army viii provide the CEN
trail blow, but we win be in It
plenty.
At home, production h IN
good shape. Headaches over
labor supply and initiation
are severe, but no more than
we should expect considering
what violent changes have
taken place In the life and
work Of the nation within the
lnst year.
But there IL q harmful delay
here In preparing for what Is to
come out of the war. That IL not
q distant problem. The Issues are
already bsing discussed In the
legislative bodies here and In Lon
don. The administration here II
not vet IN q position to take the
leadership In any Of this discus
sion, or to guide 1t wisely. vari-
ous administration officials shoot
from the hip In all directions and
leave the public more disturbed
about the peace than about the
war.
Public opinion n being confused
instead Of educated.
The British acceptance Of Gen.
eral Eisenhower ~ supreme COM
mandsr IN Africa In q fact that
could Be made TO contributs
nightly toward better feeling
and stronger mutual confidence
among the allied nations.
But beyond the fighting
people see developing only
the carly sprouts of postwar
rivalries, with no develop
ments toward anything 10
bind me winning powers to-
gefher. That h what makes
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