Milford chronicle., 1945-05-08

puhIlt interest i turning to tie problems involved
IN de1'atlnE Japan and the size al the army re-
CURED t" accomplish th@ job. Last Saturday members
of the Wa department General Staff appeared be-
fore the House Military Affairs Committee to- discuss
our plans in executive ~cs#ion fully and frankly
Tn" information presented has appeared in the
press il partial and earbcd form. therefore as it
is of IT," most intense atcrcat to every soldier and
to our citizens generally. tn" following statement i5
released. Tn, Wa department desired to delay
making amy public statement in this matter until
after several basic factors lad been cleared with
overseas commanders and the plan presented to
the ontr" CoGGrcys by Admiral King ard General
Marshall
The ioin, Chiefs of stat attr. consultation with
General Macarthur and Admiral Nimitz have made
preliminary estimate Of the troops and equipment
needed to crush Japan in the shortest possible time
and with the smallest cost in American lives. Smi-
lar calculations We're mad" for tic forces provided
General Eisenhower
ThciY estimate of the needs in Europe and Africa
was quite accurate, the last division to arrive in
Europe having gone into action April t.
Ask Reduction TO 696S.N00 Men
Our Army is S.200.000 strong Under the
approved plan engaged in working
ward Army strength of G.96S 900 IA year from now
That will give MS all the strength believe
dcploy effectively against Japan and will also enable
us to meet Occupation responsibilities in Europe
and to maintain the necessary training and supply
force in th" United States
Although We were able to hold to the plan wc
made for the war against Germany developments in
matter which cannot be mathcmatcay
predicted with accuracy. 0ul best Judgment is that
VIC can defeat Japan quickly and completely with
army which yc2r from now will he 6.96S oon This
figure is given to TN" American people With IT,"
that they will be told later any changes
that the progress Of the makes possible
necessary.
The Japanese have military force of more than
1000 o0n men and many millions moro men that
he utilized for service forces for combat. if need
lie. The numbers dcrIoy in the Pacific. with
the limitation shipping and hasc facilities, would
appear tho face of it sufficient to insure that
prcpondcrancc which brings victory swiftly and with
low casualties
But the .Iarancsc force" divided. Some are
in the home islands some in China some in Man
Churia They have remnants of 2arrisons in many
parts of the Pacific and the East Indies Our control
of the and the air makes it possible for to
keep these forces apart aud to choose the time and
place of attarks We have opportunity to strike
with overwhelming power as soon as we get oul
bases established and eur armies dfploycd
Says Men In Europe Must Aid
it is aim together with allies. to give
the men under General acArthur and Admiral MIN
itz all the help can give them just rapidly a>
We can meet only part of the needs of this Pacif
war from still in this country Many of th'
troops now in Europe also 80 to the Pacific t,
take their places beside those who have driven thu
Japanese back from the Threshold of Australia t.
the inner zone of their own dcfenscs
Every physically fit soldier in the United State
who has yet served overseas will be assigned t.
foreign duty when he completes his training,
he is performing an essential administrative ser
vice function. he can be replaced by
returning veteran. The War Department has bee
making a systematic and successful effort since tn
start of the war get all qualified men overseas
There have tor several months been no combat div
sions left in this country and few smaller tactict
units of any character.
Moving our forces from Europe to the Pacif
involves the greatest transportation problem thi
has ever been undertaken in war. The distances al
tremendous From Europe Manila hy way
Panama is 1000 miles. From San Francisco
Manila is G771 miles And speed is essential for
is vitally important that do not give the cnen
time either to rest rcorganizc his defenscs.
Consequently, many troops will go straight fro
Europe to the war against Japan. As many as ca
I've taken through the United States without reducil
our pressure the enemy will be brought thr"u'
this country and givou furoughs cnrouto Son
must be given rrtraning after their furlouGhS +
fighting tie Japanese is different from fighting Il
Germans.
Hall Through United States
The need is particularly great tor service tloo
to build the communications. harbors, bases and a
fied. essential to sharply expanded combat "pel
tiors. Many of the service troops VIII nave 10
direct to the Pacific to prepare the way tor the II
application of our ground and air strength
More than half of the men to go to- the Pac'hc
go by wav of the United States. The proportion W
be substantially lower than this among service un
attached to air and ground operations, ana hlSf
among combat units The great bulk OF the co
bat units will be staged through the thlted o'a'
Still others of the troops now III Europe
have TO remain there for occupation duty 10 ma
certain thai the menace of NaZi aggression is p
manentlv eradicated and that the seeds OF IL
war do not take root before this one is ended.
number assigned this duty and the length
time thev will be needed will depend on the sltuat
in Europe and the nature OF our international GO