Evening star., 1945-03-14
Serious Dangers Seen
With War Optimism

SSsIO0S 0OUSSIS SScU
With War Optimism
Few Washington officials Know
What's Ahead, Says Observer
By David Laurence
The dilemma which arose . number
Of times In 1914 confronts the armed
services again. It is the recurrent ques-
ton OF when the war will end and
civilian production can be resumed.
Notwithstanding all the pessimism
that pours forth regularly from the War
Department to Congress to the effect
that the home front can't afford to let
down or that the war Is sure to be
going on long time. the optimistic
statements made by Prime Minister
Churchill plus the sensational headlines
Of American progress across the Rhine
area, create q widespread impression
that m early end to the European war
may be expected.
The correctness OF that impression Is
not the issue, but the fact that the
American public assumes repeatedly that
the war Is on the verge Of ending is
what brings q serious problem.
The truth is there is q conflict be.
tween the widely circulated beliefs Of
the wishful thinkers, on the one hand,
and the desire Of the leaders OF the
armed forces to keep the home front
pessimistic lest there be a let-down
in production.
Few Know What's Ahead.
Actually, few men In washington know
what's ahead. Again and again the
German will to fight has been under
estimated by oficial Washington. The
slogan demanding unconditional sur
render" and the announcement from
Yalta which portends economic strangu-
lation for the German people for many
years to come are two factors which are
constantly ignored here for the simple
reason that to give weight TO them Is
to criticize the administration here and
the Allied spokesrnen abroad for blum
dering policy that prolongs the war.
But while the Allied armies are
making military progress that must
ultimately bring about the defeat of
the German armies, this does not mean
the end Of the European war by any
means. 1t would be surprise, indeed.
to many thoughtful observers If the
Allies are not still fighting Germans In
1916. This same type of observation
was considered absurd in 1914 when
any one ventured to predict that Ger
many could keep Allied armies fighting
in l945, but 1914 went by and the year
l945 is here and many officials already
speak cautiously Of fighting at least
until midsummer.
Hitler's game, OF course. Is to proiong
the war. He foolshly thinks that when
the Allies get tired" they will become
more lenient. Actually, it works the
other way A German surrender in
| 1874 or l943 would have been much
better for the German people
A mistaken impression, on the other
hand. prevails as to Hitler's power to
control the German people Even If he
Is eliminated, the other Nazi criminals
have everything to gain and nothing to
lose by prolonging the war and by spur
ring the German people to resistance.
| The Nazis have as one Of their most
| powerful weapons and ammunition the
| Allied announcements Of an intention
to dismember Germany and to send
slave labor to Russia. All this satisfies
the vengeful spirit Of people on the Allied
side who have allowed emotion to be-
cloud their Judgment, but it also means
the death OF many more thousands OF
American boys because psychological
warfare penetrating to the German
people has been so tragically mishandled
| by the Allies
Probably Right"
When Hitler says there will be no
repetition of 1918, he is probably right,
for there is nobody on the Allied side
who can command the same infiuence
| with an enemy people as did the late
President Wilson. The theory usually
offered in refutation is that any man
| 1festatl OF fairness to the German
people will mean an inconclusive peace.
! AS matter of fact unless the German
t FSOFNS Ne%ti w RtAoddSEo tlldb bltGy WILL
not be enslaved when they surrender,
the war may go on for many months
more than otherwise would be the case.
The biggest fallacy that has ever
been circulated about the World War
Is the argument that because our troops
didn't march to Berlin the last time or
because peace terms were laid down in
advance, q Second World War came.
Actually, the Second World War came
because the British and French govern
| ments were asleep at the switch about
Germanys rearmament; because Amer.
lea was Indifferent to what was happen-
ing in Europe and because all the VIC
tors of the last war thought that an
impoverished Germany would be unable
to recover, forgetting that the German
| people could be stirred to desperate
measures by propaganda about alleged
injustice made plausible by economic
| chaos and unemployment
Rsproduetion Rishts Rsssrvsd)
Good ldeu, But -
| From, xhurrh