Evening star., 1945-05-06

plies both from the continental
United States and from Europe so
that our forthcoming operations
may be carried out in accordance
with our standard. practice of using
ammunition, air power and mate
rial to the utmost to save lives. The
soldiers who fight Japan will have
all the superiority in fire power and
equipment we can provide, but it
will impose a heavy strain on ship
ping to give it to them. The supply
lines to the Orient are so long that
it takes three cargo ships to do the
work one was able to do in sup
plying our troops in Europe.
We have about 10 combat di-
visions in Europe at the present
time, exclusive of hundreds of thou
sands Of combat troops assigned to
corps and armies and a huge force
of supply and service troops. 1t
takes Is Liberty ships to move the
equipment of single armored di-
vision. 1t takes rs trains to move
1t to the port. That gives you some
idea OF the transportation problem
we are up against.
First priority must be given to the
troops and equipment going to the
Pacific If we are to win that war in
the shortest time and with the
smallest cost in casualties. Other
wise, we must slow down the pace
of our offensives and run the risk
that the enemy will have an oppor-
tunity to reorganize for renewed re-
sistance. We will not ask any Amer
lean soldier to lay down his life in
order that another American SOL
dier may return home a few days
sooner.
Demobilization Is Secondary,
However. 1t is not the intention
OF the War Department to push de-
mobilization to one side during the
MANY months it will take to transfer
our main strength from Europe to
5he Pacific. Demobilization will pro-
ceed at the same time as redeploy-
ment, although it will be necessarily
secondary in terms of urgency. We
Will do everything that can be done
consistent with the effective prose-
cution OF the japanese war to see
that men eligible for discharge do
get back home in the shortest pos-
sible time.
Every ship that can be pressed
into service from any quarter will
oe used. Arrangements have already
been completed for returning SOL
diers with long European service in
converted cargo and grain ships. 1t
is estimated that nearly half a mil
lion men can be brought home in
such ships by the end of the year.
Regular passenger ships and troop
transports, including the famed
British Queen Elizabeth. Queen
Mary and the Aquitania, will also
be operating on a gigantic shuttle
system.
Will Use 800 Transport Planes.
There will be 800 transport planes
assigned to this task. Fifty thou
sand men month will be brought
back to this country by air. To the
maximum possible extent, these
planes will bring men from combat
troops in the very heart of Germany
men with the longest periods of
combat service and most remote
from the ports. This process will
begin promptly after Germany is
defeated
1t is our expectation that. by ship
and plane. We shall be able to bring
home from Europe all the men to
be discharged in about a years time.
Equal attention is being given, to
the problem of bringing veteran
troops back from the Pacific at the
same time that the mass move
ment Of additional forces into that,
theatef is under way.-The War
Department Is now shipping to the,
Pacific every replacement for whom
shipping space can be found. By
this means a surplus of replace
ments is being built up there so that
men OF long service can be sent
home.
Naval ships are being used where
ever possible to assist in the return
of men from this theater. I'm
fortunately, while the fighting goes
on. the rate of return of men from
the Japanese war will be governed
by the extent to which We can
bring in troops above actual battle
requirements needs. No man can
be released until another man is
available to take his place.
The main facts of the redeploy-