The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-01-29
. Clapper

Much TO Be Desired in
Csssblsnes Reports
Served Good Purpose
In Uniting French
Stain too Busy
To Attend
Now Giving Maxi Army
us Deepest Wounds
ny RAYMOND oLAPPER
WASHIN GT0N-The
Casablanca meeting between
President Roosevelt and
Prime Minister Churchill
was spectacular, but until
we have more information it
will be difficult to judge how
important it was.
AS to military plans and de-
eisions for 1913, we don't ex-
pect to be told anything, nat
urally.
Fortunately, the Casablan-
@ conference brought about
. closer union among French
political factions. General
DeGaulle and General Giraud
met and agreed that French
men must unite TO fight be-
side their allies. Evidently
some progress was made In
that situation.
Considered as a strictly Anglo
American conference. the Casa
blanca meeting apparently was
successful. Considered as
United Nations matter. it leaves
much to be desired. or else much
to be explained at a more appro-
pirate time.
Undoubtedly the Anglo-Ameri-
can working alliance has been
strengthened by the Casablanca
meeting. President Roosevelt
and Prime Minister Churchill OBJ
viously are collaborating with the
utmost mutual confidence. Quite
q point was made of that in the
joint communique. II some fric-
ton occurs ir the lower levels,
that is only normal. In war. as
some one said, the problem is
: always how to be friends though
allies.
With Mr.. Roosevelt and
Mr.. Churchill maintaining
such . strong personal en-
tente cordiale and bringing
their respective military
staffs together for 10 days
Of conference, the practical
strength of the Anglo-Amer-
lean working alliance has un-
doubtedly been substantially
increased by the Casabianca
conference.
AS the two principal Atlantic
nations, America and England
are one, strategically, controlling
both ends of the vital Atlantic
highway. America is the produc-
ton center, the democratic sides
defense in depth-as was shown
when the British, in those dark
hours of June. 1910. prepared to
move with their fleet to the
northern hemisphere in case
Hitler should take the British
Isles. Britain is the big forward
base for our defense, and a
gigantic advance airfield.
Incidentally. Britain II no
small munitions producer.
She has sent TO Russia three
fourths rs many tanks and
planes as we have, and sup
piled two-thirsis of the ships
and considerable equipment
for the North African expedi-
ton. Britain has vast assets
of courage, free institutions,
and footholds all around the
world.
We have found her bases or
islands in all oceans invaluable
for our own purposes in this war.
It is a source Of strength to us
that these forces are so COM
pactly welded together, through
the combined chiefs of staff and
many combined boards and
through the close working team
Of Roosevelt and Churchill.
That is the best side of the
Casablanca conference. ] hest
tate to discuss very much the
aspect that is disappointing to
me, which is the absence of two
powerful allies. Not even mill
tary advisers represented Russia
and China. Stain was invited.
1t was even offered to move the
conference farther east, prob
ably to Cairo, so that he could
make a quick flying "Trip. But
he declined, and as the Casa
blanca conference broke up he
was busy issuing a triumphal
order of the day to his troops
about the Red army's 250-mile
advance and the smashing OF
more than a hundred enemy di-
visions.
Stain was informed of de-
velopments at Casablancs, but