Evening star., 1943-01-07
Roosevelt Sees Unity
OF Effort as Key 10
Victory Over Axis
Credits Production
Lines for Advances
On Bottle Fronts

On Bottle Fronts
The tert OF President Roose-
relts address to Congress on
the state OF the Nation fol-
lo1Us:
The Seventy eighth Congress
assemblies in one of the great
moments in the history of this
Nation. The past year was per-
haps the most crucial for modern
civilization: the coming year will
be filled with violent conflict-yet
with high promise of better
things.
We must appraise the events OF
1912 according to their relative
Importance: we must exercise
sense of proportion.
First in importance in the
American scene has been the in
spring proof of the great quail
tiles of our fighting men. They
have demonstrated these quail
ties in adversely as we'll as in
victory. AS long as our flag flies
over this Capitol, Americans will
honor the soldiers, sailors and
marines who fought our first bat
ties of this war against over
whelming odds-the heroes. living
and dead, of Wake and Bataan
and Guadalcanal, of the Java
Sea and Midway and the North
Atlantic conveys. Their uncon-
querable spirit will live forever.
BY far the largest and most
important developments in the
whole strategic picture of 1912
were the events on the long
fronts in Russia: First, the i'm
placable defense of Stalingrad:
and. second. the offensives by the
Russian armies at various points
which started in the latter part
of November and which still roll
on with great force and effec-
tiveneSS
The other major events of the
year were: The series of Japanese
advances in the Philippines, the
East Indies, Malaga and Burma;
the stopping of the japanese in the
mid-Pacific, the South Pacific and
the Indian Oceans: the successful
defense of the Near East by the
British counterattack through Egypt
and Libya the American British
occupation of North Africa. OF
continuing Importance in the year
1912 were the unending. bitterly
contested battles of the convoy
routes, and the gradual passing Of
air superiority from the Axis to
the United Nations.
The Axis powers knew that they
must win the war In l942-or even
tually lose everything. I do not
need to tell you that our enemies did
not win this war in 1912.
In the Pacific area, our most i'm
portant victory in 1912 was the air
and naval battle of Midway Island.
That action is historically important
because it secured for our use COM
mur alton lines stretching thou
sands of miles in every direction. In
placing this emphasis ON the battle
of Midway, I am not unmindful OF
other successful actions in the Pa
ciflc, in the air and on land and
afloat-especially those on the Coral
Sea and New Guinea and in the
Solomon Islands. But these ac-
tions were essentially defensive
They were part of the delaying
strategy that characterized this
phase of the war.
Lists Heavy Losses
inflicted on japanese.
During this period we inflicted
steady losses upon the enemy
great losses Of Japanese planes,
naval vessels, transports and
cargo ships. AS early as one
year ago. we set as primary
task in the war of the Pacific
day-by-day and week = by week
destruction of more japanese
war material than japanese in
dustry could replace. Most GER
tainly, that task has been and
is being performed by our fight
ing ships and planes. A large
part of this task has been &C
complished by the gallant crews
OF our American submarines who
strike on the other side of the
Pacific at Japanese ships-right
at the very mouth Of the harbor
OF Yokohama.
We know that as each day
goes by, Japanese strength In
ships and planes is going down
and down and American strength
in ships and planes is going up
and up. The eventual outcome
can be put on mathematical
basis. That will become evident
to the japanese people them
selves when We strike at their
own home islands. and bomb
them constantly from the air.
In the attacks against Japan.
we shall be joined with the heroic
people of China. whose ideals Of
peace are so closely akin to our
own. Even TODAY We are flying as
much lend-lease material into
China as ever traversed the
Burma road. flying it over noun
tains 1900 feet high, flying blind
through sleet and snow. We shall
overcome all the formidable OBJ
stacles, and get the battle equip
ment into China to shatter the
power of our common enemy.
From this war, China will realize
the security, the prosperity and
the dignity which Japan has
sought so ruthlessly to destroy.
The period of our defensive at
triton in the Pacific is passing.
Now our aim is to force the jap
anese to fight Last year. We
stopped them. This year, we ia
tend to advance.
In the European theater OF war
during this past year it was clear
that our first task was to lessen
the concentrated pressure on the
Russian front by compelling Ger
many to divert part of her man.
power and equipment to another
theater of war.
Tells How Allies Planned
Northern African Invasian.
After months of secret planning
a~l ,oro.>aro tin,, 1ItpnnSt