Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1945-06-07
L Might Be.
|Wrong--But
P. G. STROMBERG

OIdCeS against Japan is TAX
ing such a terrific toll of Japa-
nese lives and administering such
untold damage to her cities and
industries that common sense
tells us there is reason to hope
that among her top ranking Off
Gals there is a desire to call
"quits." Only in
Are The Japs this hope can
Yelling there be reason
Quits? to look for an
early end to the
Pacific War. Yet it is a real
hope. To a great many Ameri-
can families the war has only
begun while to thousands of
others the war remains a con-
tinued horror. 1t is for these fam
lilies that this hope is real, 1t is
for them to conjure every indi-
cation of the possible early end
ing of Japanese resistance as
break in the clouds.
Any approach to the Pacific
War is encouraging. Every eff
fort to analyze Japanese psychol-
ogy points to the enemy recog-
nizing the utter uselessness of
continued destruction of her
homeland. Even with a major
job on our hands with the
European conflict and with no
aid from Britain we were able to
drive the Japs back to their
homeland. We were able to COM
pletely defeat her navy in every
engagement until for months
the Wanted strength of the Nip
ponese Navy has been proven a
myth. We have been able to
gradually white away her air
force until we enjoy real SUPERB
ority right up to her own little
island. We have taken Japanese
lives in battle at ratio Of nine
and ten to one. We have proven
to Japan's leaders that they not
only can be licked but actually
are licked even
War Has before we con-
Just Begun centrate our full
For Many might against
her and before
the great British Fleet approaches
her from the opposite direction.
She will have two ocean fronts
to face with a navy already Goo
weak to put up a fight on one
front. She will have daily visits
from our B-29's to more than
one of her big centers of popu-
lation. She even faces the pos
sibility of having to fight her
ancient enemy, Russia. And
there is little doubt that Japan's
leaders recognize that uncondi-
tional surrender is her ultimate
potion. Their consideration is
whether to accept unconditional
surrender before her people and
cities are almost entirely wiped
out or whether she will save as
much as possible while there is
time.
President Truman has let them
know that they can have peace
and a cessation of destruction
when they ask for it. But he
has let them know that they can
get peace only through uncondi-
tional surrender. There are
those who believe that the state
ments made by
NippOneSe President Tru-
Will Pay man on this
Heavily score were
prompted b y
semi-official "feelers." The Japs
know that they will lose all of
their navy, all of their ill-gotten
empire, all of their heavy indus
try and war-making plants, and
part of the territories she gained
at the expense of other nations
in years before the present war.
It is a big order for her leaders
to accept but it is a far better
picture than humiliation which
is her doom if the war is con-
tinued to the last vestige Of re-
sistance.
And if Russia does come in it
is to be hoped that she will come
in entirely of her own volition
and not because Of pressure from
the United States. We are in
position to do the job of licking
Japan ourselves. The only gain
we could have by entrance of
Russia would be the earlier de-
struction of Japan's military
strength. 1t will take a little
longer but it can well be hoped