Evening star., 1943-09-08
Marshall
Continued From First Page. J

the Japanese, never in doubt OF
their purpose. but helpless to rein
force the Philippines because the
soldiers and the machines did not
exist.
Calm Confidence In Outcome.
Gen. Marshall's report, important
for his calm confidence in the
eventual outcome, and noting that
the war has entered its final phase,
was submitted as Allied forces pene-
trate deeper into Italy for knock,
out blow and move relentlessly
closer to the Japanese, mainland
through the outer ring OF defenses
in the Pacific.
Reviewing and snalyzing the
abrupt change from an anxious
period of mobilization and enforced
defensive tactics year ago to one
OF increasing Allied unity. and
offensive strategy, Gen. Marshall
summed up the present military
situation
TN brief, the. strength of the
enemy Is rapidly declining while
the combined power of the United
Nations is rapidly increasing, more
rapidly with each succeeding month.
There can be but one result and
every resource We possess Is being
employed to hasten the hour of vic
tory without undue sacrifice of the
lives of our men.
Two years ago Gen. Marshall was
put in the unenyiable position of
being compelled to plead with Com
gress to prevent the disintegration
of q citizen army of l,500 900 men
In training by amending the ''one
year of service law In marked
contrast, the Chief Of Staff now
commands the mightiest Army in
American history. totaling 5000 900
men for use in launching increasing
offensive blows until, he declared,
our enemies are beaten into COM
plete submission"
Answer to Russia.
Significantly the report makes it
apparent that the whole Allied war
effort is being conducted on the
sound theory that military con-
siderations are paramount over po-
litical considerations. Nowhere is
there to be found in 1t a suggestion
that Great Britain and the United
States will be tempted by Russian
pressure into a premature invasion
across the English Channel.
On the contrary, Gen, Marshall
indicates that the immediate answer
to Russian demands for, second
front in Northwest Europe is the In
creasing volume of the American
English bomber attack against the
continent. That form of attack to-
day, he emphasized, gives promise
of being a decisive factor in the ul-
innate destruction of the German
citadel"
The American air assault on the,
continent was begun July 4, 1912, by
only six of our Army aircraft A year
later, Gen. Marshall reminded. more
than 1000 American bombers were
based in the United Kingdom, with
assaults on the European fortress
planned in collaboration with and
support of the Mediterranean cam
paign.
1T has for It's objectives," he said,
"the reduction of German air COM
bat strength to virtual impotence,
the disruption of vital elements of
the enemy's lines of communications,
the progressive destruction and dis
location of German military, in
dustrial and economic system, and
by the resulting psychological impact
on the German people, the under
mining of their morale and their
willingness to continue to support
the war effort.
Thus the objective of the COM
bined bomber offensive is the elm
ination of both the German ability
and will to continue to wage war"
Results Of Air Assaults.
The net result of these air assaults,
Gen. Marshall pointed out, was that
The Germans were unable to con-
duct any sustained offensives this
summer In Russia or build up suffl-
cient strength In the Central Medi-
terranean to oppose the Allied Of
fensive."
The attacks had caused Germany
TO divert production to fighter planes
at the expense of bombers, he de-
clared, to withdraw experienced
hghter pilots from the Russian and
Mediterranean fronts for the de-
tense OF Germany and later to with
draw tighter aircraft from Russia.
Here Gen. Marshall emphasized
the significance of the continental
raids by disclosing disaster which
our air forces might have encoun.
tered at the time Of the NORTH
African invasion.
The combined air forces haf
10 be funneled through the single re
stricted feld at Gibraltar which