Evening star., 1943-12-26
Years Offensives
to Bring Peace
Bu OWefl z. Scott.

can forces will be in positions from
which they can begin to force Japan
to surrender.
From this time forward the course
of the war will depend in large part
upon the time and place that the mill
tary might of the United States Is
brought to bear. This country has spent
Its first two years of war mobilizing its
potential power. War orders had to be
turned into war goods on hand. Supply
pipelines had to be filled. Men had to
be drafted, trained and transported to
battle fronts.
That part of the task is about COM
pleted. American industry now is pre-
pared to turn out almost any war
weapon in almost any quantity wanted
on almost any schedule. Just as an
example, industry can be given orders in
December to turn out 5000, 900 900
worth Of landing craft by March Is and
can be expected to deliver on the dot.
Army, Navy and air forces now num-
ber more than 100000 men. Most Of
these men are highly trained. Many
of them are experienced in combat. They
all are equipped with the best and the
latest in the way of war weapons One
third to one-half of their number is OUT
side this country and by spring Ameri-
can forces abroad will be large enough
for any assigned task.
All Of this means that after two years
OF effort, the preparatory phase Of the
present war Is approaching completion.
| This phase, as it concerns Europe, should
be completed by April or May. 1914.
The problem from now on Is one for
| the military men themselves to solve.
This is the problem of hitting the enemy
with the men and machines that have
been two years mobilizing. To date, in
| the war against Germany, most Of the
| hitting has been done by the Army Air
| Forces. Even those blows have been
on rather modest scale compared with
| the scale they are scheduled to reach.
In the months just ahead an effort
will be made to bring to bear against
| Germany the vast power that the United
| States has been assembling.
II that effort succeeds the inventories
| Of men and of war materials that today
seem to be SO vast and even excessive
will take on different appearance. The
guns and ammunition and airplanes and
tanks that are piled up in ever-increas-
ing quantities will rapidly be used up
In an effort to knock out the weapons
that the German Army can bring to
bear. The greater the quantity and ths
better the quality Of the American
weapons the less will be the loss OF
get decision in Europe before the year
ends in 1914
Plans now laid suggest that more
than 1000 900 Americans may be thrown
into Western Europe in the effort to
get that decision. This would be in
addition to the American forces that
will operate the continued bombing
offensive out Of England. Other large
American forces will be operating from
bases in the Mediterranean.
The start of the 1914 offensive very
definitely will end what recently has
seemed to many to be . "sitzkrieg"
phase Of the war
In the Pacific, the war Is much less
far advanced than in the European
theater. Preparations for the big final
push are nearly complete In Europe.
They have barely started In the Pacific.
1t will be necessary during 1914 to push
to the Philippines and the China coast
In order to establish bases large enough
to support an air and naval offensive
against Japan herself.
The American Navy now Is strong
enough to undertake the offensives that
will precede the main assault that
probably will be needed to produce 9
japanese surrender. AS in the case OF
the Army and the Army Air Forces, ii
has taken the Navy two years to pre-
pare for large-scale offensive operations
Those operations will be under way DUR
ing 1914 with every prospect that Amer
lean forces will be operating out of the
Philippines before Christmas of next
year. BY that time Japan will almost
surely have lost access to the empire
that she conquered during 1912 and that
she tried to protect during 1943.
All OF this means that next year ID
likely to be very active and exciting
war year. 1t will be year either OF
decision or one of disappointment, de-
pending upon the success with which
the Army and Navy and air forces ar,
able to use the men and materials with
which they have been supplied in such
lavish quantities.
II plans now laid are successful, as
there is every reason to expect that they
Will be, the war in Europe will come to
an END some time during the year. At
the same time, the war in the Pacific
VIII be carried to a point that will en-
able Army and Navy and air force,
to build for knockout blow against
Japan in l945 or early 1916.
1 One thing now being impressed upon
the Nation by events themselves is the
TACT that military preparations and
military moves usually are slower than
expected. 1t obviously Is American
military policy to move with delibera.
tlon and to take few chances. This
country can afford that type of policy
because time is on its side. Time on.
aoles better preparation and it tends to
cut down losses.
Even so, military commanders now
are about ready to start some of ths
wars biggest pushes. Spring is likely
to bring the American people plenty OF
excitement.
ReeoI| Them Gently