The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1943-08-05
TANKS AND POTATOES

A<A4~AAS 6AAND VI oIo
The army doesn't like to say too
much about it, but the United States
now has an embarra ssment of
riches with respect to tanks. A year
ago, and for at least year before
that, there was great clamor about
speeding production of this weapon
with which Hitler overran the con-
tinent.
However, both the invasion Of
Sicily and raids over Germany now
make it apparent that the weapon
with which we shall take back the
continent is not the tank but the
plane.
Tanks were needed for the cam
paign in North Africa, and a year
ago they were the most important
weapon in the arsenal in prepare
ton for the landing of November 8.
But fewer tanks were expended
in North Africa than had been
expected, and we still have most of
those which were sent to that thea
ter. Further, there will be less
demand for tanks in Europe than in
Africa, because of shorter distances
and less mobility.
A tank factory closed down in
Ohio last week, a fact which nor
mally would have caused great
alarm. But it passed almost un-
noticed because of the fact that we
now have miles of tanks standing in
line waiting to be used in whatever
theater may require them.
Note: Claude Wickard says that
tanks are like potatoes. A few
months ago everybody clamored for
them. Now they are a glut on the
market.
NAZI AIR STRENGTH
Air force experts are commenting
on the fact that German air activity
is sitter in every theater of the
European war. More German
planes have been rushed to Italy,
are also active on the Russian front,
and are more active over the Euro
pean continent in combating Allied
bomb raids than at any previous
time in the war.
Experts believe the Germans have
put up all their air strength. This
is highly significant, for it means
they have taken everything they
have, leaving no reserves.
Thus every loss inflicted on the
LuftWaffe in any of these theaters
represents a decline from the mini
mum required for defense of the
continent And when you cut a force
below its necessary minimum, you
are bringing about its downfall.
MERRY-GO-ROUND
q A professional cameraman's ap-
praisal Of capital figures. as seen
under the flash bulb: Cordell Hull,
patient; Donald Nelson, harried and
hurried; handsome Ed Stettinius,
vain as Hollywood actor; Henry
Wallace, philosophically rejecting
on "how the news camera distorts
life"
q Enemy broadcasts, intercepted by
FEC. declare Washington is push
ing an Argentine break with the Axis
with increasing eagerness" to sat.
isfy U! S. appetite for encamping"
on the Falkland Islands-''unjustly"
snatched by Britain from Argentina.
Thus Berlin tries to drive wedges
both between Argentina and U. S.,
and between U. S. and Britain.
PACIFIC WAR WILL TIGHTEN
Operations in the Pacific have
met with glorious initial successes,
and American forces will push on
from one island to another, in a
campaign which will have no per.
manent pause.
But don't look for a continuation
of one-sided warfare much longer.
We made our first landings in
places where the Japanese were
weak and where resistance was not
substantial. But as we advance far.
Their, resistance will become sitter,
and the progress slower.