Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-02-06
Road to Tokyo Rouger Europe Wegand

bombing, not Yet taken Rabaul, a
strong Japanese base.
HAVE SCARCELY BEGUN.
We have scarcely begun assaults
on Truk. the japanese Malta in
the Pacific The japanese Stlll
hold Wake Island tnow called
Otorn. and Guam The latter,
$50 air line miles from Manila,
must be rctaken before the Philip
pines can be reconquered
Those who are impatient with
Gen Macarthur and with Admiral
Nimitz should remember that the
Europe first strategy gave them
limited forces on land sea and in
the air.
Moreover after sinking Of the
British battieshipS Prince of
Wales and RepulSe in December,
1871, and the practically, wiping
off the sea of the combined Amer
lean Australian-Dutch Asiatic fleet
weeks later in the Java Sea bat
tie. America has been holding the
bag in the Pacific.
IT is not easy 10 make up dur
ing war for the lack of prepara-
tionS and gross undereStimation
OF the enemyS strength before
the outbreak of hoStiAtieS- OF te
regain the time lost to US and
given TO the enemy 10 DIG in.
MAKE ROAD HARDER
Circumstances are such that in
order to make the American
people realize and become con-
Scious of the magnitude of The
task m the Pacific, we are psyche
logically making the road 10
Tokyo harder, more difficult and
more costly 10 ourselves by in
spring the fighting spirit and
grim determination of the. Japa-
nese still more.
Obviously authorities in Wash
ington are convinced they chose
the lesser of two evils in making
public, tragic disclosures OF Japa-
nese brutality and inhumanity TO
our soldier and sailor boys cap
tured in Bataan in April, 1912,
in the we'll documented
army and navy story given out.
AS one of about l.400 Americans
recently repatriated on the SIS
Gripsholm, / wish / could share
the opinion that these disclosures
will cause the japanese 10 give
better treatment and more food
to orr soldier and sailor war pris-
onerS.
AMsi-kHeR4edfeo of Japanese psy-
chology does not encourage that
view.
THEY KNOW THE WORST
The Japanese have been told
that they are to be stripped"
their empire broken up. army,
navy and industries TO he taken
from them: that some L. :.
senators demand the sacred per-
son Of their Emperor HirOhito
he hanged.
Others want Japan given to
China after the war; still
others advocate that Japan be
made great national concen-
tration camp forever in which
90 to 100 million japanese are
10 be sealed up" where 40 mil
lion existed when our Commo-
dore Perry pried open that
country with guns.
The Japanese hear aall Of
that. There remains little now
with which 10 intimidate them
into more humane treatment Of
our soldiers and sailors and air
men.
Already they have been told
the worst that can happen to
them.
MANY WED NATIVES
There are about 5000 Ameri-
cans and 1000 British civilians in
termed in three camps in the Phil
ippines. OF the Americans about
300 are married to native. that IS,
Filipino wives They have 1,540
dependents, children and other
relatives.
We left behind us in China
about ,23t6 american -cfvifiars
and rather more than 5000 Brit
ish. Among those claiming Ameri-
can protection and subsistence are
Chinese and EuraSian
wives and children of American
marines and sailors.
British citizens in China the
British call them subjects SIN
clude EuraSians, Chinese, Malays,
Indian Sikhs. Punjabis. Bengahs
and Parsees. In the main they are
British Empire people. The major
lty. if the children are counted,
have never seen England The fig
ures / have given do not include
those in Hongkong.
NEARLY 10000
American soldier and sailor war
prisoners captured by the Japa-
noe total hntnfnox &c 0O0 .nA