The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-12
WHAT AMERICA FACES
IN YEAR AHEAD
BY Paul MaIlon

w - sAS@~S
IN YEAR AHEAD
WASHINGToN.-The official head.
lines have cheered us with almost
daily victories through l943. but any
sober contemplation Of 1914 must
make US look behind them at the
reality OF our war effort.
In Italy. the Pacific Islands and
New Guinea, we have been engaged
in costly, brave but token-scale fight.
ing. A very small fraction OF our
massive army has even nova
month more than two years after
the war Started-seen the enemy.
Official announcements disclose
that we had four divisions in action
in Tunisia, five in Sicily, and four
or Eve in ltaly-about 60, 900 to $4,000
men lighting at a time.
About half these divisions have
carried on through, so that only hall
OF them may be assumed TO be add.
tional troops. These considerations
would furnish an estimate that .
little over 100 900 men had yet seen
action on this front.
On Guadalcanal and in the Solo.
mons, three different divisions have
been mentioned. In New Guinea.
elements Of two more have been Of.
fcially declared. A division is sup.
posed to have been involved at Attu.
Thus in the Pacific. the estimate
could be safely placed at around
10000 in action, plus the 10000 regu.
lars who fought for the Philippines.
Certainly few more than 200, 900
troops-one-tenth Of the land force
supposed to be overseas now and
only an infnitesimal "a per cent Of
the army we have been raising and
training to beat the Axis-have yet
been turned upon the enemy.
This does not mean their lighting
has not been great and historic.
Valor and greatness In combat do
not rest on numbers. Nor will any
future action OF this war be more
important than the work they had
TO do. The only point OF this cold
truth is we are still in the prepare
tory phase of this war now more
than two years after its start.
REASONS FOR FORGETTING
That none Of us has fully appre.
ciated these facts, however. is due
to several natural reasons.
In the first place, collapse Of the
German war machine was anticipat.
ed because OF shortage Of oil and
raw materials, and this proved I'M
justified.
Secondly. the air corps expected
bombings Of German cities to bring
a possible capitulation due to the
same reasons, and this may come
any day. but it has not come yet.
Furthermore it was wise and nee.
essary for US to make the Nazis
continue TO believe new invasions OF
Europe were imminent. In order TO
keep as many Germans as possible
away from the Russian front.
Finally, the profound extent Of
Nazi stubbornness in continued fruit.
less resistance TO the Russians has
been truly amazing. Only a nation
which wants suicide could continue
to face what Germany faces with
the new year.
The end Of the war in Europe is
surely TO be expected this coming
year. Fuller use OF our great power
is practically promised officially.
not on far scattered atolls but in
concentrated power. Places where
the blows are TO be launched have
almost officially been suggested.
Disappointment cannot continue
to delay the inevitable. Yet if we
continue only to plod along remote
sandy island by island in the Pacific,
and mountain by mountain in Italy,
with no more than 100000 men in
action on land, anyone can see this
war could last Unfortunately (the
long hard years originally forecasO.
My best guess is Germany will yet
crack, and quickly, that the war in
Europe will certainly end in the first
six months OF 1914, probably the first
quarter. and that Japan will last
less than a year longer.