Evening star., 1943-06-07

ganda being fed
them by wishful David Lawrence
thinkers
The recent conquest of Attu
should have been an eye-opener,
but apparently its lesson is being
ignored. To take that tiny island,
American casualties in killed and
wounded we're about 1900. The
Japs lost 1890. Judging by the
time consumed and the casualties,
it would take the United States
many years to acquire similar bases
on the island-by- island method
Yet there was a time when the
United States might have had Attu
without any such loss-if America
had been inclined to move in first
and had not been absorbed in the
European theater. Now the attack
on kiska, where the Japs have
upwards of 10000 men, will take
considerably more time and the
casualties again will be heavy. We
still are not on the offensive III the
war against Japan.
Must Help Russia. China.
Failure to appraiSe properly the
Pacific war is the cardinal mistake
of the American People today. The
same mistake is being made by our
British Allies II there had been
genuine appreciation of the factors
involved in the Pacific war there
would be today less anxiety in Wash
ington, less fear Of the dangerous
moves that Japan may make before
the year l943 is over.
To understand the strategy of the
whole war, it may be stated simply
that the United Nations must help
Russia and must help China. With
out the effective use Of the man.
power of either Or both, the war
can be prolonged Indefinitely. To-
day the United States and Britain
are Straining every energy to help
Russia and to equip her ground
troops and air forces with munitions
and planes. Whatever so-called
'invaSion' steps may be taken on
the Mediterranean islands soon, no
continental invasion is expected this
summer to help the Soviet by divert
ing German troops or by moving
into the Balkan peninsula.
May Knock Out China.
The summer months, moreover
will tell the story of how effectively
Russia can Withstand a German
attack this time or can conduct a
counteroffensive herself. On the
outcome of the summer months
campaign in Russia also depends
the evolution of another part of the
war Japan, under pressure from
Hitler, must attack Russia. To do
so, Japan may decide first to knock
China out of the war.
The considerate opinion of we'll
informed military men here is that
Japan can take China out of the
war this year if she really con-
centrates on the job China is on
her last legs. Her recent rally is
encouraging but not decisive. The
main artery of supply to China is
the Burma road. The only chance
of reopening it was through opera
tions begun last autumn by the
British and winding up last month
when the monsoon season began
The British muffed the ball. Crit
icism here is widespread particu-
larly of Gen. WaVell and to a Ger
tain extent of the British Navy for
having failed, for example. to sup
ply the seapower for the conquest
of the base at Rangoon A big
British fleet is needed in the Bay
of Bengal.
The explanation from the British
Is that they were otherwise occu-
pied in the Mediterranean. But the
truth is considerable part of the
British Navy has been successfully
segregated IN the North Sea by
the presence of the Nazi battleship
Won Tirpitz and by the cruisers
Gneisenau and Scharnhorst.
Present Mystery.
The failure of British air power
to prevent the escape of the two
cruisers through the English Chan
mel and in recent months the in
ability of the British air force to
bomb the harborS in Norway where
the German warships are anchored
is one of the unexplained mysteries
of the war. 1t has done more than
any single thing to produce skep-
tics here concerning the success of
what MIR. Churchill calls an air
experiment in bombing GERMANY.
The distance to where the Ger
man warships are idling is not
greater than the distance being
traversed daily in the air raids on
German factories. Yet these three
ships can not only tie up a huge
part of the British Navy but can
scare the Allies away from the
main convoy route to Murmansk.
Russia. in the summer time.
China and Russia-these are the
two countries to watch As their
fortunes rise -or fall. so do ours.
Irrespective of whether one puts
Hitler or Hirohito first, the strategy
in the main is the same. 1t re-
quires unremitting use of air power.
oea power and land power.
There is agreement on world
strategy. But the outlook is critical
because of mistakes made in 1912,
Unfortunately, the enemy is not
unaware of these mistakes. The
war ahead is long and the struggle
tn overcome 0,,r noistakes b,e MT