Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-11-25
BEHIND
News
BY Paul
MaHon

w These stories you hear
again now of a quick end of the
war seem 10 be about 10 create
another wave of optimism. They
are rooted more in hopes than
in facts.
Actually strong resistance has
been met by Our initial power
drives at the German line. The
military men consider it theo-
retically possible that every
thing will break right for us
once and our current drives may
go rolling on faster as the hope
fuls say, but they do not expect
IT, Tougher ground certainly
lies ahead of Gen. Patton, and
perhaps all along the front.
THE Philippines campaign GER
tainly will not be over soon
in any event. Gen. MacArthur's
job ahead means months. Not
only the hurricane weather is
favoring the Japs, but also the
terrain beyond Leyte, upon the
main island of Luzon.
The Jap drive in China luckily
is limited. All advices here
prove rather conclusively that
the Jap strategy is directly only
toward cutting central China off
from Burma-if it can be done.
But even if this mission is ac-
complished, they will then have
long lines of communications
running back to the coast and
exposed TO the Chinese on both
sides, the north and the south.
Such extensions are really
invitations for the special type
of fighting the Chinese do best.
Chang is not sufficiently
equipped for battle, indeed
could not protect five or six of
our valuable airfields which
have now been lost to the
enemy.
That the Jap armies may at
tempt TO go on to Chungking is
hardly likely. Their game is to
make themselves strong along
the coast for the days ahead
when We have a chance to get
at them. And end of the war
in China anytime soon is hardly
to be expected. but possibly the
opposite-a new guerilla-type
campaign by the Chinese.
CERTAINLY no inner prepa-
~ rations are being made
here within the government for
an early conclusion anywhere,
Senate appropriations commit
tee acting chairman McketIar
had been trying to get up some
estimates of how war costs
could be cut at the end in Ger
many. He gave il up. saying
nothing could be figured now,
except going straight ahead.
So also with the food program
for German winter supplying of
Germany after victory. Moth
ing is being done on it now.
1t will be necessary there
fore. for every one to strain
little harder at the tasks in
hand and not risk disappoint-
ment in easy optimism.
ONE effect of the Democratic
" victory will be suppression
of congressional investigations.
The fact that the people voted
Democratic despite all the regu-
lations and red tape has re-
moved the popular impetus for
congressional policing of the
government bureaus.
This is an unfortunate thing
as such policing sponsors eff
Gent administration. A bureau
subject to congressional inquiry
is hardly likely to run far away
with itself.
Along with the Dies commit
tee will 60 the Smith investiga-
ton of the WLB. The Senate
has a judiciary subcommittee
looking into that subject, but
nothing can be expected OF il.
The Mead war investigating
committee will continue under
administration auspices.
But also dying is the House
radio hearings. With Chairman
Fly out, the committee will de-
eide to close.
OF course, with Paul Porter,
Democratic publicity man in as
radio communicative chair
man, and the labor boss Petrillo
holding the disc-making activi-
ties of MIC and Columbia well
in hand. you can see how radi-
cally the situation has been
altered.
If the Republicans had won,
they would have sponsored in
vestigations into surplus power,
enlarged the Smith committee,
and maintained the congress
sional policing system.
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