Evening star., 1943-12-12
How Long Will War Last?
Correspondents Make Guess

! W. AvANSAA> ~ SA>oO
is still much faith in Hitler's star, espe-
cially among German youth. It seems
almost certain that German morale will
Withstand the coming winter.
by next spring fresh military de-
feats, plus the prospect of more to come.
should set the water boiling in the huge
cauldron on which Hinmler and his
gang are precariously perched.
However, there is one certainty: II,
through overconadence, the Allies
should relax their war effort, the war
will drag on for years. The one hope
of the Nazis is Allied war WEAKNESS. In
intimate party circles the talk centers
about holding out for another two years
because American and British morale
cannot" ys
Two Years for Japan.
In Honolulu B. J. McQuaid declares:
From this distance I do not possess
facts on which to base an opinion as to
when Germany will capitulate or
whether such capitulation would mean
peace, confusion or an armistice in Eu-
rope.
"As to the Pacific: If we insist, as
we should, on the utter destruction Of
Japan as a military and naval power,
the war will last until we put armies Of
occupation in Toxic. This will cost
heavily In men and material. Unless
Russia joins unreservedly with both
bases and manpower, it will take US
from three to six years longer.
Even If Russia comes in, Japan can,
and probably will, by Characteristic
suicidal last-ditch stand, hold us off for
two years more.
But the greatest price to be exacted
of us will be peanuts compared to the
alternative, which is some kind of busi-
ness peace or thinly disguised deal
forced by home front disunity, war
WEAKNESS or short-sighted statesman
ship.
Such a deal, no matter how sugar.
coated for public consumption, would
expose our next generation to the cer-
tain menace of a predatory, vengeful
and bitterly race-conscious Oriental
empire, obsessed by hatred of the West
and possessed of military and economic
potentials unprecedented in world his
tory"
six Months From Philippines"
Hal OFlaherty, who is in the South
west Pacific, sums up his views in this
manner:
Wherever 60 in New Guinea, I am
greeted with the same question: How
long is it going to last?'
Upon Sattelberg Mountain. Austria
liam veterans, resting beside the steep
road, would pass the time Of day, then,
with smile. ask:
You blokes get around a good deal.
When do you reckon this thing will end?'
american engineers along the coast
and the boys on PIT boats or landing
craft exchange greets and follow up i'm
mediately with:
when do we go home?'
They all want somebody to guess or
| predict the end Of the war
Il do not believe any one can foresee
what will happen more than a day
ahead, but I know from watching our
troops fight the Japs in New Guinea
| these past six months that the Allies
| are not going to drive them back to the
| Philippines in less than four to six
months.
THE key to the Japanese war lies in
Berlin. When Germany couapses, it is
| logical to expect the Allies to devote
| from six to eight months in marshaling
their f0rroc yoI to
blow to Japan.
Therefore, I shall put on my long
| black robes and high-pointed, star
| spangled cap and predict that Germany
| will fall before the present SHOWS melt
in Middle Europe and that Japan will
surrender before the showers of April,
1945, have ended the droughts Of
March"
Nothing But Guesswork.
Finally, A. T. Steele, at New Delhi.
says: ANY speculation on the probabl
length of the war can be nothing more
| than guesswork because of the impon-
derables involved. Reluctant though I
am to stick out my neck, here goes:
| Germany is weakening, but I don +
think the Russian offensive, our effort
in Italy and air bombardment of Ger
man cities will alone be sufficient to
bring the Nazis to their knees. 1t will
take massive invasion of Western Eu-
rope to strike the mortal blow. A
major invasion is not likely before the
end Of winter. However. once started,
| it will be in such overwhelming force
that it should move very fast.
"The collapse of Hitler should come
in the summer or autumn of 1914.
Pending Germanys downfall, We
shall probably be obliged to confine our
operations in the Pacific to the present
creeping tactics. 1t will take several
months after the close of the European
conflict to concentrate the whole of our
enormous striking power in the Pacific
and to establish ourselves securely in
BOMBING bases within range of vital Jap
centers.
"One of our initial tasks may be to
pinch of and isolate Japan's South Pa
cific conquests by island island flank
attack from the east and possibly push
through Malaga, Sumatra, Singapore
and the South China Sea from the west.
This also will give us new lines OF
access into China through it's southern
ports. The Allies then will be ready to
close in on the heart of the japanese
empire from all sides for the kill.
MY opinion is that before Japan
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