Evening star., 1944-09-13
Quebec ToIks Seen
Centered on Europe
Lines Already Set for Warfare
in Pacific, Says Observer
By David Laurence


Although President Roosevelt and
Prime Minister Churchill are meeting
In Canada and are supposed to be talk
Ing about the next moves in the Pacific
war, 1t does not necessarily follow that
the conference has as its major purpose
such q discussion.
For while it may fit the Roosevelt po-
litical strategy inside the United States
to give the impression that big military
moves. are being planned by the Com
mander in Chief in connection with the
war against Japan, the chances are
that the conference has far more to do
with ending the war in Europe than
with the Far East.
This is because the tactics to be
followed in the Pacific war were de-
veloped months ago and there isn't
much that can be changed about them
now. The lines are set The British
government can't help us very much
against Japan. For the principal need
is to mobilize manpower on the con-
tinent Of Asia and equip and arm an
army inside China, and this Is not
task that Britain can accomplish any
more than we can.
Impression Of Strategy"
The war against Japan will have to
be fought by naval surface ships, air.
craft carriers and large land-based
planes. The transfer of some units OF
the British Navy will be helpful, Of
course, and was planned a long time
ago. Surely there was no need to hold
a conference in Canada to confirm that
idea.
What then can the Roosevelt
Churchill conference do for the Pacific
war that hasn't already been planned?
Probably very little of anything 1t
will doubtless be like the Macarthur
Nimitz-R Roosevelt conference at Pearl
Harbor recently in which painstaking
effort was made to give the American
people the impression that some large
conferences on strategy" were being
held.
AS a matter of fact, the absence OF
Admiral King, Gen. Marshall and Gen.
Arnold meant that no important plan
ming was done at the Pearl Harbor
meeting and what probably occurred
was an informal review of the situation
for the benefit of those present.
1t would be political blunder OF
major proportions for the President to
be found making any military plans
without Admiral King or Gen. Marshall
or Gen. Arnold So while the Pearl
Harbor conference got lots Of headlines
| it was in fact not the conference 1t was
same atmosphere of artificiality seems
to surround the Canada conference ex-
cept that this time the military chiefs
are present-perhaps for window dress
ing.
Trouble Ahead In Europe.
But are they discussing Europe or the
Far East? The probabilities are that
Europe is in the forefront because, not
withstanding the optimistic headlines,
plenty of trouble lies ahead for the
Allied armies in Europe before our con-
quest is complete.
There will be, of course, some discus
sion in Quebec Of the Pacific war, and
| there will be the usual platitudes written
| in the official commupiques telling us
! how anxious Britain Is to help us de-
feat Japan. The military facts, however.
are obvious. While Britain may con-
| tribute some strength, the die has been
cast-China is today dominated by the
| Japanese armies.
We need naval and air bases. We will
get some near the China coast but the
| frontal assault which the japanese
radio keeps mentioning as being on the
program will mean naval warfare pri-
marily. The plans for this have long
been in the making The Quebec con-
ference can add very little except an
aura of Importance and perhaps an
expression of renewed determination.
Hence the American people might as
well not anticipate anything new or
sensational to come out of the Quebec
| conference.
|