Detroit evening times., 1943-08-26

making the contest more
even?
II, for example, we have in
America a steel producing ca
pacity of 90000,000 tons per
year and Japan has about
100000, wouldn't il be helping
Japan If we used only 100000
of our tons against her and
withheld the rest for military
operations in other theaterS
of war? If you were
Japanese, wouldn't You be
grateful for an American policy
which withholds the major part
of its production and leaves
only small part to be used
against Japan?
NHE American people have
been told that main
idea is 10 beat Hitler first and
then all strength will be con-
centrated on defeating Japan
This thesis fits IN with the
conception which Great Britain
has had Of this war from the
beginning.
Nobody can blame Winston
Churchill for seeing Britaln'S
interest as paramount and for
desiring TO end the war in
Europe as quickly as possible.
Yet, If II is question be-
tween a possibly longer war I'm
Europe and chance TO deal
devastating blows against Japan
now and prevent our ma jor
enemy in the Pacific from grow
ing so strongly entrenched as
10 cause us to fight a war OF
five or six years duration.
should not some of us in Amer
ica plead for more attention 10
the Pacific even at the cost Of
n somewhat slower war in The
European theater2
Isn't that a much more ball
anced idea Of global warfare
Than 10 disregard now the dan
gers Of a prolonged Pacific
war;
But il really isn't necessary
10 change the plan for Europe
10 such an extent as 10 slow
down operations there. II IS
necessary only TO divert frac-
ton Of cur total power and
that means air power for use
against Japan, and We can
thereby accomplish gains for
ourselves in l943 which viii
definitely be reflected m the
possibility or beating Japan IN
l9i5 instead of 1919
THE American people have
L been strangely complacent
about this Pacific war of ours.
They have been complaCent be-
cause our President. the natural
leader IN wartime. has been
strangely silent about the is
sues.
When the British prime
minister came here for a visit
recently. Mr. Roosevelt ar
ranged for Mr.. Churchill 10
address Congress and deliver
defense OF the European concen-
traton idea as against the
criticism that we were not max
ing sufficient progress in the
Pacific.
II was a mystery 10 most
people why the President took
no part IN the discussion him
self but let Mr.. Churchill argue
about the case. And MIR.
Churchill naturally argued for
more help 10 Europe and espe-
cially stressed air powers use
against Germany.
Today air power has the
stage and every necessary sup
port In high places here but
it's air power for use in Europe
that is supplied so literally and
not air power for use in the
Pacific
This 'iS not saying we are
diminishing our flow of planes
and ships 10 the Pacific. Actu--
ally, We are making subStan-
.tial increase. But if you origi-
nally have handful and YOU
double the amount. the per-
centage increase sounds big be-
cause II is 100 per cent Yet YOU
still have only two handfulS.
THE L. 6. Navy is taking il
l. on the chin in the war
against Japan Together with
small army and marine air
forces. the navy has been relied
upon for most Of the offensive
moves.
The hand-to-hand fighting in
the Solomons by our army and
marines. and recently at Munda
and Attu. reveals how slow tho
Job is because of the absence Of
sufficient air power
Many lives are being spent in
the heroic effort 10 make prog
~reSs ih-the North and South
Pacific.
1t is we'll know that in mod
ern warfare an Air umbrella is
essential. A navy needs land
based and carrier based air
power. We cannot take impor-
tant bases like Rabaul without
more air power-to soften -up de-.
lenses before our troops land.
If WE drift along with our
L present niggardly contribu-
tion OF ships and planes to the
war in the Pacific, Japan can
hold the scales even for long