Evening star., 1944-02-26

gate the eueCUS OF lIldI detdCh. ou'
the American people know more to-
dav about raids and the difficulties
of warding them off. Indeed, while
every effort will be made to pro-
tect ourselves against attacks from
any quarters, the public should not
be shocked if the enemy does raid
our newly won bases in the Gill
berts and Marshalls. The enemy
has aircraft carriers, too, and the
Pacific Ocean is big enough fol-
sneak moves when our own fleet
may be returning or is occupied IN
force among other bases.
The achievement in bombing
Truk and later the Marianas is a
glorious one, however, and more
than makes amends for the Japa-
nese attack on Pearl Harbor. The
japanese could not follow up their
attack on Hawaii and gained moth
ing by it except to put out of COM
mission some obsolete battleships
which now have been rebuilt and
modernized and are of more use to
us than they would have been in
December, l941, when we did not
have the naval air power anyway to
provide the necessary cover or Of
fensive strength to move westward
toward the Philippines.
Size Is Cited.
The Navy which we now have in
the Pacific is larger than anything
we or any other nation has ever
modified in any one theater of
action. 1t is a Navy in which CO.
ordination has played a vital part
Army land-based planes are timed
to attack and defend along with
naval airplanes flown from decks of
numerous carriers.
The American people, and par
ticularly the workers in the ship
yards, are to be congratulated fol
the job done in building so many
carriers in such a short space OF
time. Our aircraft factories ano
their personnel are especially to be
commended for having made pos
sible the air supremacy we now pos
sess over vast areas of the Pacific.
Most significant is the accom-
pliShments of our whole naval COM
mand. Admiral King, who became
commander in chief of the feet q
month after Pearl Harbor, has put
into the organization of the Navy
a determination and an efficiency
which is reflected in the results
already attained. His genius as ar
organizer has given him already ar
inestimable place in our naval his
tory.
The country knows little about
the part played by the subordinate
commanders. 1t knows little, fol
instance. about the skill and tao.
tics of Admiral Nimitz, whose plan
ming and resourceful use of every
opening offered by the enemy made
possible the success of the recent
raids. In one instance-a raid that
has resulted favorably-it is said
that Admiral Nimitz went beyond
his plan. Like a halfback who sud-
denly sees an even better opening
than the football play itself requires
and takes instant advantage of it
the commander of our Pacific
operations caught the enemy off
balance and used the element OF
complete surprise to the great ad-
vantage of our side.
Casualties Small.
Casualties have been relatively
small. The risks taken have been
big. The people know only the Off
cial words of the communicates
which are modest and restrained
The naval victory of the last few
weeks in the Pacific is the greatest
In all our history For we have sent
out an armada of ships and supply
auXlllarleS unprecedented in guam
tlty and strength to operate three
to five thousand miles away from
our mainland.
Admiral King has reflected the
spirit of the entire Navy in pressing
constantly for more and more ships
and supplies for the Pacific. Given
the ships and the weapons, the
Navy has demonstrated that it can
cut down the length of the wal
against Japan. And the remark
able part of the achievement to date
Is that the original nucleus of trained