Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-11
The Greater Enemy

4 REVEALING little paragraph IN the news recently
"A gave Americans accurate idea of the estimate
placed BY Washington the comparative Importance OF
the Oriental and European fronts.
Discussing the problem OF supplies spokesman IN
Gen MacArhurs headquarters commented that Japanese
submarines to be about as effective as German
The Japs. in five months have sunk 10000 TONS, or
per cent the total shipping of 100000 tons operat
ing in the South Pacific while, IN the same period the
Germans have sunk 500 tons per cent of the
1o5oooOo TONS of shipping engaged in the Atlantic
THE important revelation of these figures that there
IS ove~ 10 times much supply shipping and supplies
operating the Atlantic as IS operating in the South
In other words if the Importance of front is to be
gagged by the volume supplyand this is
TALLY one Of supply-thCn Washington considers the
Pacific less than onecnh as important as the European
Yet. Judging by actual accomplishment, Japan is 10
times the greater menace to America and Americans than
Nevertheless, by its own figures Washington gives
ONE-TENTH of its materials and hardly that much OF
attention TO the Pacific problem, that is 10 times as
critical as the Atlantic situation
ITO THE average good American it would seem that it
is better to concentrate resistance to the deter
mined bully that is knocking down doors than to turn
it against the bus partner who happens to be fighting
our powerful friends safe distance away
AS Father Hubbard the glacier priest an outstanding
authority on Alaskan affairs said recently
What did after Pearl Harbor was the same as If
crept up and kicked YOU in the pants, and
six blocks down the street to punch another man in
the nose"
Father Hubbard also pointed out that the European
war was the old show, promoted war between
powers who have formed the inveerate habit of fighting
each other at convenient intervals the familiar and thor
oughly exposed game Of power grabs
DUT the war in the Pacific is another thing
- 1t is more terrible and mercess because is
between peoples and civilizations that mutually ex-
clude each other ..a.
America could not exist with victorious Japan.
Japan could not exist within the terms of victorious
America except peaceful fourthrae power limited
by its resources and within its own territory
The Oriental war is truly race war, in which
grasping cruel and nsaney ambitious is determined
to extermnate whoever opposes its dream of conquest
and its plan Of world dominance.
Japan is that aggressor and America is that OPP
ponent
GO OUR gulibe and goodnatured Uncle Sam is crusad
- ing in Europe while the tidal from Toxic gathers
its strength and rises to enguf
So that when exhausted by European participa-
ton, Uncle Sam home to duplicate the effort
perhaps all by himself-and this time against bitter,
stronger wer and ncomparaby better placed adversary
None Of this makes
Americans realize it. and getting irrtated and
impatient over the whole matter
But Americans will have to yell more and louder
before Washington decides its face from the pro-
way from Japan
Let us hope and pray that decision is not made too
late