The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-08

The War
BY KIRKE L. SI,1pso,.
Associated Press ". .oN

un4i1 ranos iesS War Analys
to decisions reached in nv l''ga Z,
Sea area conference Of e DAG
Roosevelt and Stain. the V+t ,n
port Of that parley cannot b lar pn'
ed There are positive indis SLAP
IN the announcement Of tba s'ls'oa
ing, however, that first 5i i+st''
came first with the conters, ~
that new military Russian 'i sT nd
commitments designed to con ~l.st
and expedite the total do s,,.pe'e
Germany headed the list Il
Whether there has been i.
military liaison heretofore be, roA
the East and West F r',Sssa
to coordinate the final stts uI''
uncertain. 1t is an oninons 'A )
cumstance for Nazj hopes of W. W.
continuing organized resi,t,s ~as
however, that the confereey s' o.,s,
announce complete agreeme 0S
on joint military operations + IN n.
ish off the German army eyo ~ m
fore they took up more co rr 'e'
political problems awaiting I 9ata
ton. S0A
Russian and Allied lines in no,.,
ern Germany now are 50 closs s' ..'
gether that direct staff intercb..,o'
es day by day TO facilitate S,s'
JOINT operations are possible !, s' !!
hardly an hours flight over ca
many for fast military plsns W.,
cover the less than $50 miles \.
tween them at their nearey =.
proach to each other due east ,,s
west of Berlin. WIN
American heavy bombers h.r,
ranged over the central plain ~,
Germany within the last 4S borr,
in obvious strategic support a. fl.
Russian advance to or beyond n.
Oder river deadline They strnr,
at Dresden within 10 miles or ,s,,
of the nearest Russian trans. Oh,
bridgehead. That supplies eliza,
indication of what must be contem
plated in the military agreement,
aimed not only at winning the war
but winning it quickly and there.
by reducing the inevitable heaw
casualties that 60 with pitched hal.
ties.
That undoubtedly was the first
concern Of the Big Three Al.
though the military directives flow.
ing out of their mutual undertss.
ings will not be apparent exceu
as put into execution by the respe:.
tive field commanders.
Meanwhile OH the other side Of
the world, events in Manila were
tending to seal the fate not onv
of Japan's conquest dream and the
Japanese empire, but to strength.
en- American determination 10
press on against a ruthless foe
Manila or much of its main bus.
ness section had been put TO the
torch or racked with demolition
bombs by enemy suicide squads
still holding out south Of the Pasig.
The japanese action drew from
General Macarthur a stern dec.
laration that it was one of ivan.
tom destruction.
That means the American com.
mander could see no justification
of military necessity for the deed.
1t neither could prevent American
complete occupation of the city IN
due course nor greatly affect the
campaign to clear the whole island
of Luzon upon which the bulk Of
his army is engaged.
There was no sign Of official re-
action in Washington to this Japa'
nese military vandalism and no in
dication of change in policy by
replying with such indiscriminate
destruction of enemy cities But
the deliberate destruction cannot
help but heighten American efforts
in the war and determination to
see such crimes do not 60 unpun'
ished.