Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-02-15
War TODAY
RooseveIt's Talk
on Air Breafhed
Offensive Spirit
nn CAPT. JOHN II. CRAIGE


Written Especially fer Init Ns~s service
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT s
address. his first report 10 the
American public on the war
council al CaSablanCa, outlines
the grand strategy of America s
war and the war Of the United
Nations for the coming year and
predicts the beginning OF a
march that shall take Allied
troops til triumph 10 the streets
Of Berlin. Rome and Toxic.
Considered in conjunction with
the recent address of Premier
Churchill. il leaves little 10
speculation as 10 the objectiveS
Of major campaigns of the imme-
date future and states that
decisions reached at Casablanca
Will soon be made known 10 the
world lin actions rather than
in words.
Our armies are now maSSing
in TunSia. said the President.
giving heavy emphasis 10 that
theater. where Churchill re-
Gently stated that more than
100000 United Nations soldiers
are converging on AXIS forces.
Their immediate task is to
drive our enemies into the sea.
AFTER THAT Will come "ac-
tual invasion of the European
continent" Pressure on Ger
many and Italy will be constant
and unrelenting. But there will
be heavy casualties. And, lest
our positions in the Pacific thea
ter deteriorate, great and de-
cisive actions gainst the
Japanese will be taken TO drive
The invader from the soil OF
China.
AS statement of high strategy
and intent. the Presidents adj
dress was stirring one. breath
ing the spirit of the offensive
from its first word TO its last
and pointing TO the general
: directions of coming efforts in
a manner that left little 10
guesSwork.
Americas unprecedented pro-
duction Of weapons of war Of
the highest quality was stressed
and the mounting strength and
mutual confidence of United
Nations sketched. factors that
of late have shaken 10 the core
Axis confidence in the poSsibil-
ity of ultimate victoryyN
THE PRESIDENTS emphasis
on the stamping out of the Axis
foothold in North Africa should
occasion little surprise. To reap
the strategic harvest of the
United Nations occupation of
French Morocco and Algiers,
the conquest Of Tunisia Is neces-
sary.
Morocco and Algeria were
taken to prepare the way for
thrust at Europe and to free
transportation through the
Mediterranean. cutting the dis
tance from Great Britain TO the
Far East by more than half.
Axis occupation of Bizerte and
Tunis. with their airfieldS at the
narrowest point of Europe's
great inland sea. together with
German and Italian bases on
Sicily and Corsica would render
any cross-Mediterranean thrust
hazardous. and prevent transit
from Gibraltar 10 the Suez
Canal by merchant ships.
Before anything further can
be attempted on the Mediter-
ranean front, then. Marshal
Rommel and his forces. now
penned in the northeastern cor
ner Of Tunisia, must be liqui-
dated.
FIRST STEP in this direction
planned by the Casablanca con-
ference has already become
known TO the public, by actions
rather than words" in the APP
pointnent of General Eisen-
hover as supreme commander
In North Africa.
This action will insure Svs-
tematic and united pressure by
the British Eighth Army adj
vsncing from Egypt, and the
American-British forces, moving
from French Algeria.
AS was inevitable. although
grand strategy was outlined
with explicitness, speculation
was avoided as 10 strategies OF
execution and all matters touch
ing tactics.
One feature to be noted was
the Presidents constant use of
the plural in connection with his
forecasts Of attacks on Europe.
Informed opinion already leans
toward the conclusion that there
will be invasions from other
points besides that Of the Medi-
terranean.
Opinion is also likely 10 con-
meet references 10 China with
prospective campaign 10 re-
gain Burma and the strategic
Burma road as preliminary 10
driving the invader from Chinas
coil