Detroit evening times., 1945-06-08
BEHIND
The NEWS
By Paul
MaIIon

NEW YORK, June Tt was
a hard-war program which
Mr.. Truman put before Con-
gress. Unlike Mr.. Roosevelt, he
told the people what was needed
in men and energy 10 defeat the
Japanese. Like Mr.. Roosevelt
his primary point was that we
must drive the JapS 10 uncondi-
tional surrender.
Criticism Immediately arose,
disclosing opposition on this
point such as existed against
Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t is not i'll
natured opposition but repre-
sented a genuine view that lives
can be saved by concessions.
l saw one critique which put
the matter this way: Mr.. RooSe-
Welt was fruStrated> person
trying 10 initiate IN this war
Gen. Unconditional Surrender
Grant in the Civil War, who
earned his nickname at Fort
Donaldson hut gave generous
terms TO Lee AT AppomatoX.
I THINK | can demonstrate, If
YOU will read on, that any
procedure except the Roosevelt
Truman policy of unconditional
surrender is not only impracti-
cal but impossible and the
hope of many people TO save
lives by Offering conditional
surrender is founded on an I'M
sound understanding of military
history, particularly the same
Civil War.
The Japanese war is being
conducted by ruling military
clique with the full support of
the people. No terms - the
clique are possible because
these would mean the end of
the persons who operate it.
Any terms offered to the people
could not be effective until
they overthrow the clique, and
therefore the only feasible time
to consider terms is after that.
But when they have done this,
they are not prepared for un-
conditional surrender or any
surrender.
Try to write some terms 10
encourage them 10 revolution
and YOU will see how impossible
is the task. One critic l saw
suggested we offer the people
the restoration of their en-
peror. What emperor, to what
Japanese class and for how
long? Unless Jap military might
is first crushed can we possibly
contrive anything to prevent
another bigger Pearl Harbor 20
wears henCe-a successful one
next time?
I DO not believe wars can be
Il ended except by uncondl-
tional surrender. The terms
which Grant gave Lee at Appa-
matoX had nothing 10 do with
the end of the war. Further re-
siStance proved impossible be-
fore Lee asked for terms. The
South had been crushed. In
deed. il lay proStrate for nearly
so years. Does anyone think an
earlier conclusion could have
been reached 10 the Civil War
if Grants terms had been Of
fered earlier? 1t is impossible
for anyone 10 believe that. And
what were those terms? BaSi-
callY that the officers could
keep their sidearms and the
soldiers their horses (which
they owned anyway as the Con-
federate commiSsary could not
furnish any in order that they
might 60 home 10 plow and live,
without requiring federal sup
port.
You have to beat an enemy
in any war in order TO get any
terms. then after they are
beaten. you can call il whatever
you like--it still is unconditional
In the War of 1872
we negotiated peace before
we won the battle of New Or
leans, and this fiaSco resulted
in terms so unpopular they
could not be enforced by the
victors against us
NOTHING can be gained by
" kidding ourselves. Lives are
saved in wars by swift, decisive
action. The quicker you beat
the enemy, the smaller is your
casualty list. Therefore what
you need is overpowering might
and shrewd generalship. not
peace programs. You can never
save lives by selling your war
aims short.
lnnuendos suggest we might
10 well 10 leave Japan with
something TO offset prospective
Russian inroadS in Asia, or cap
iure of that continent, as Eur