davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1945-02-19
The Bewildered laps
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot

These are unhappy, troubled days for
the japanese. There Is some evidence
Of bewilderment even in the highest
circles. Just how the Emperor feels
personally about what is happening to
his warriors We are not informed. But
his generals, his statesmen and his
propagandists show signs of not quite
understanding what 1t Is all about.
The Japanese were for some years hv-
ing in a Rip Van Wrinkle paradise
After a long sleep, they returned to the
world to find all sorts of new and Won
derful means by which they could carry
the way of the warrior into adjacent
lands, and thereby possess themselves of
other peoples property and reduce the
former possessors to their proper po-
sition Of slaves to the noble Samurai
They defeated the Chinese in l894-5-
an accomplishment which seemed much
more remarkable to the world then
than it does to us now. They got
Formosa. They pushed in to Korea.
Opposed by the Russians considered at
the time the most formidable military
empire in the world they astounded
every one by defeating the Russians,
incorporat ting Korea and Port Arthur
AA t1lCn CAiPAS, aAAu AAovAAS Ai W
Manchuria.
They did all this with an army care
fully trained by German instructors
(until 1890 and q navy trained by
British naval mission.
That they did not stop at that point
should occasion no sastonishment to any
student Of history. The fact of the
matter is. the japanese thought they
had learned in 40 years all the tricks
and methods which the Western World
had been developing for the last four
centuries.
They had crammed, they had passed
their examination. but they were actual
ly about as well on In the matter Of
basic education as 3 schoolboy who fol-
lows the same procedure. The wine Of
victory went to their heads. From the
close Of the Russo-Japanese War in
1905 onward, there could be no ques-
ton as to Japanese purposes, though
there was some question Is to japanese
ability to bring those purposes TO suc-
cess
The Japanese had no doubts on that
score. Patiently they sought their OPP
portunity. They tried to get Eastern
siberia and Shantung ct the close Of
the World War. But the combined
pressure Of the other victor states Of
that war deprived them Of this loot.
They continued to squeeze China. IN
1881 they took ovsr MAnchuria al
. 3 + Il
Evening star., 1945-02-19

from the murder Of Archbishop
Beckert In ITO, his canonization as
Saint Thomas Of Canterbury and the
pilgrimages OF hundreds OF thou
sands OF men and women to his
shrine until the Reformation. But
even II no such crime had occurred
and no such great church ever been
erected, the settlement around the
ford of the Stour would have been
important. That is what the "doo-
dlebugs" again have proved. HUI
manity Is older than formerly was
supposed. The deepest OF robot
craters conceivably may show
Britain to have had a civilized,
prosperous and progressive society
at period before the Valley OF
the Nile in Egypt was inhabited.
Evening star., 1945-02-19
Pre-Romun Canterbury

German bombs which fell within
the boundaries of the city of Can
terbury have proved again the fact
that that portion of Kent has been
inhabited since times far beyond
ordinary belief and credence. The
craterS caused by the explosion of
"doodlebugs" and other missiles
have yielded fragments of pottery
and pieces of masonry of much
greater antiquity than similar relics
previously found.
But the value of such news can
not be realized unless the site of
Canterbury and the relation OF that
site to the rest of Britain is under
stood. The famous cathedral for
which Canterbury best is known
throughout the world stands where
it does not by accident but because
OF the operation of a law of logic
which Is as old as creation itself
Centuries before any church of any
sort existed in the vicinity large
and numerous community flourished
nearby. The explanation lay in the
convenience of ford over the Stour
River which there debouched from
its narrow valley in the North Downs
to enter upon wide fat belt of land
OF rich fertility easy to exploit. Over
the hills to the west ran the prehis-
toric track which subsequently was
to be called "the Pilgrims Way"
This path met with other roads lead
ing to the southeast and connecting
with the continent of Europe beyond
the Channel.
And the place of that meeting was
the same Stou- ford to which all
travellers moved It was, in effect,
a 'bottleneck" through which a
constant and unceasing traffic came
and went. The Romans simply did
what their unknown predecessors
did. Durovernum was their name
for the town. The Saxons desig-
mated it 'Cantwaraburh,' meaning
"the city of the men OF Kent" 1T
was the capital OF Aethelbert. When
Augustine and his fellow mission
aries arrived from Rome, they made
1t the center of their work, founded
q Benedictine monastery. con-
structed a cathedral Of metropolitan
character. Archbishop Lanfranc set
the establishment ION firm basis"
after the Norman conquest.
Much Of the celebrity Of both priory
and cathedral admittedly traces
Evening star., 1945-02-19

Although most comment, including
my own, has concentrated on the politi-
cal significance of the Crimea confer
ence, its military importance is more
immediate. For months Hitler has
promised his people that the inpasse in
which GERMANY is caught would be
opened with division between the
Allies. Peace feelers put out by the
Germans in neutral European capitals,
may have seemed to promise some
chance Of success. But the Crimea con-
ference must have revealed to every
German that Germany is in a dead-end
street. II any still doubted this, the
new unified assaults-especially the use
of Anglo-American air forces to open
the way for. advancing Russian troops
have repeated the lesson in letters Of
blood and fire.
As usual the Germans themselves re-
veal by acts what their words deny. On
Friday the Nazi radio announced that
Hitler and Himmler had declared mar
tial law over most parts of Germany,
and that every civilian, man. woman or
child, who leaves his job or fails in his
duty, would be court-martialed and SUBJ
ject to the death penalty. This order
must be considered m the light of the
fact that oficials, such as mayors. In
the eastern provinces already have been
shot for "cowardice" and "desertion."
There Is supreme irony in the fact
that Hitler, who always attributed the
loss OF the last war to the "dolchstoss
Won hinten"-the civilian revolt in the
rear of the still intact fighting front
is this time confronted by collapse at
the front and at home. But now he is
more likely to hold the civilians than
the soldiers. The civilian collapse in the
last war was, Of course, direct refiec-
tion of news from the front. and the
universal recognition of the fact that
the war was lost. Hitler always blamed
those who acted on the recognition-the
social democrats, to whom he added
all radical groups, and the Jews. This
time the Jews have been eradicated and
the social democrats suppressed. Yet.
though terroristic methods can postpone
civilian revolt, they will not prevent his
tory from repeating itself.
But this time the collapse is far more
likely to take place at the front than at
the rear, for it is far easier to suppress
civilians by terror than to prevent
armies from taking few steps forward
into the ranks of the Allies and sur
Observation-Disclosures and in droves
Now, the German ofiicer and soldier
at the front, who loves his country more
than he loves his Fuehrer, must be ask
ing himself some questions. (And sug-
gest there are millions of Germans who
Evening star., 1945-02-19
Wrist Wutch

Tiny descendant OF antique sundial and
hour glass,
Exquisite trith precious metal and deli.
cate stones,
You whisper the s,oeep Of minutes an
lightly BY
While your great brothers strike hours
IN solemn tones.
Lustrous and shimmering toy, almost
beyond price,
With small jeiDeIed heart set In q cas-
ket OF gold,
You are not halt 80 precious as one Of
the ticks
That measure the seconds youY hunds
cannot hold.
For sOho iDoald prefer yox to the mo.
nIent re-liUed
That crystdllized lops betUeem breath
and q breath?
And ,Ohat are yon NON to that csvtais
hour,
That fragment o. tims that siorife1
death?
FREDERICK EBRIoHz.
Evening star., 1945-02-19

An Associated Press dispatch from
Paris reports that Allied air COM
manders have made "the long
awaited decision to adopt deliberate
terror bombing" of refuge-crowded
German cities. This is described as
ruthless expedient" to hasten the
end of the war. -.
Since the dispatch was cleared
through the strict Allied censorship,
its authenticity may be accepted.
But it fails to make clear precisely
what is meant by terror bombing"
in this instance.
When the Germans commanded
the skies of Europe they deliberately
bombed and machine gunned French
refugees, indiscriminately slaughter
ing men, women and children. They
might have defended such conduct
as ruthless expedient to hasten
their hoped-for victory, but they
we're denounced throughout the
civilized world as wanton murderers.
Does the dispatch from Paris
mean that the Allies, now that our
own day of victory is in sight, have
taken up where the Germans left
of? II this is the case-if, in the
absence of compelling military
necessity, our bombers are being
sent out deliberately and primarily
to kill and terrorize the civilian men
sand the women and children of
Germany-we cannot complain if
history indicts us as co-defendants
with the Luftwaffe commanders who
broke the ground for this dismaying
product of twentieth century civil
ization.
This inference can be drawn
from the Paris dispatch. But it is
possible to read a more humanitar-
ian meaning into it, The dispatch
also suggests that the primary pur-
pose OF the bombings is to hamper
German transport and to force the
diversion of the enemy's scarce sup
plies from the battle fronts to the
civilian centers. This is a harsh but
legitimate objective of war, even
though civilians are inevitable Incl
dental victims. ....- -
The distinction may be a fine one,
but it can be important to men who
have to live with their consciences
In the years to come. Because Of
this, the Allied air commanders
ought to define with more precision
the long g-awaited decision" which
they are reported to have made.
Evening star., 1945-02-19

Pacific and the Far East before
Japan finally goes down. As for the
more distant future, 1t is unques-
tionably a development full Of revo-
lutionary implications as far as
aviation in general is concerned. and
particularly SO in respect to air war
fare. Certainly, with things like this
and the rocket bomb being con-
stantly improved. the world is going
to be very dangerous place two or
three decades from now unless man
kind really makes up its mind to
live in genuine system OF collective
security.
Evening star., 1945-02-19

sell their own skins and those OF the
people under their oders for as high
price as possible.
According to available estimates, the
German armies have sufficient supplies
to continue to fight until next summer,
provided, however, the Wehrmacht can
stage . successful counterof1ensive on
the eastern front.
The stifiening Of the German resist
ance In strategically important sections
of the eastern front has been the first
indications leading to the assumption
that counteroffensive is being pre-
pared. The disappearance Of certain
strong and well-trained units from the
western and Italian fronts and the
Identification of certain OF these ele-
ments in the east has further strength
ened this assumption.
++x 4
The German broadcasters, who had
taken a gloomy attitude in the last few
weeks continue to sound this note but
are advising their people that the only
way out is to die with honor. They are
warning the Germans that the Fuehrer
has not yet played his last card and
some spectacular developments must be
expected in the near future.
The possibility OF a German attack
on grand scale also is prompting some
Russian observers to prod the Allied
high command in the west to step up
its offensive. The Allies in the west
have not yet fully recovered from the
effects of Field Marshal Won Rund-
stedts counterblow and while they are
again on the march it will be some time
before Gen. Eisenhower can resume 4
full-scale offensive.
Won Rundstedt has sent large part
of his armor to the east but still has
SUFFICIENT forces behind the West Wall
to slow the progress of the Allies. He
has kept just enough armor for local
counterthrusts aimed at delaying rather
than attempting to defeat the American
and British armies The bulk of the
remaining German offensive force is
now in the east or on the way to play
the last dramatic scene of the Euro
pean drama.
Evening star., 1945-02-19
On the Record
By DOROTHY Thomtson

care more for Germany-and their own
ler, Goering and Goebbels)
They have been promised salvation
through two things-a secret weapon, =
and a rift between the Allies. secret
weapon was forthcoming, and did not
change the course of events. The Allied
rift Is patiently false. The German
soldier on the hard-pressed eastern
front has been promised reinforcements,
but they do not arrive-and the ter
rife air bombardment of Anglo-Ameri-
can planes, reinforcing the Russians,
block such German aid as might be
planned.
The Russians are standing before
Cottbus, which is where the American
flyers Chamberlain and Levine landed
so many years ago-and I remembered
that went to Cottbus In a taxicab to
see them. Dresden, a beautiful German
city, hitherto untouched, is shambles
Of ruins and corpses. and is still burning.
Military defeat and moral collapse are
connected, but are different things. A
defeated soldier may still fight on. But
collapse is certain to occur when the
soldier knows that further resistance
is not only useless but disastrous-dis-
astrous for himself, his own family, his
own country. Then patriotism joins
forces with the instinct of survival, in
every soldiers bosom, unless he be
Nazi SIS man who can only hope to
postpone the wages OF SIN.
When a regime has to announce its
intention to court martial women, 1t
admits state Of civil war. Court mar
tial is not law and order. 1t is the
replacement of law and order-the open
admission that law and order are in
competent to hold the people in line
The forerunner of the collapse in Berlin,
after the last war, was huge posters
plastered on the kiosks, signed by the
military commander of the area, and
beginning, Il, Gen. Won Linsingen, for
bid under death penalty the formation
Of workers and peasants councils and
the meeting of more than five persons
in the streets"
Most Berliners bad no idea what he
was talking about-but in Kiel mutiny
had begun. And, In the same way, the
draconian measures OF Hitler and
Himmler, must reflect what is happen
ing at the front.
And there is no indoctrination, no
fanaticism, which will keep more than
a small minority OF any army fighting
when to continue is suicide-for them
selves and their country - and they
know IL
Evening star., 1945-02-19

together. Steadily they continued to
expand their area of control until at
last they were ready to undertake the
complete conquest Of their huge but ILL.,
prepared neighbor-at a time, they
hoped, when the rising threat of Euro
pean war would prevent interference.
The complete victory of the Germans
in Europe seemed to provide that op-
portunity.
There was, of course, great disap-
pointment-Russia did not go down. It
was Germany which went down, eventu-
ally. But the Japanese did neutralize
our feet for while. They did take
Singapore and Manila and the rich
Dutch Indies, and they did throw out a
circle of outposts to defend their loot
while they digested it.
The real disappointment came when
they discovered, to their horror, that
the imperial army and navy were not
equal to the task Of prolonged defense
that their warships, their planes and
their troops were not the equals Of the
warships, the planes and the mechanical
land forces of the western nations.
Now In the greatest test SO far-the
battle for lLuzon-the American forces
have taken just under six weeks to land
on that great island, to possess them
selves Of its central valleys and OF the
city Of Manila (save for one pocket Of
desperate face-saving reSistance) and
Of the defenses of Manila Bay. the
Bataan Peninsula and the Fortress Of
Corregidor.
Thus the japanese are cut Oh from all
the resources OF their looted empire, for
American fleets and aircraft based on
Luzon can stop all japanese trafnc
through the South China Sea. While
this is in process OF accomplishment,
the imperial capital IS under heavy
attack by American carrier based planes
.(after some weeks Of preliminary bomb
ing by long-range planes from Saipan)
and 1t is possible that American air
bases may be established in the Volcano
or the Bonin Islands This would be an
equivalent accomplishment. from the
American point Of view, to the estab-
lishment OF an enemy air base 1t
Bermuda.
Is It any wonder that the japanese
seem uncertain and beWildered7 No
doubt they will 60 on fighting, and no
doubt they Win tight hard and make US
pay = bitter price for Anal victory. But
1t would be interesting to know whether,
In many Japanese hearts. there Is not
fostering : little canker Of doubt - to
the teaching Of the past.
tcopyrishs 1888, New York Tribune fnsl
Evening star., 1945-02-19
Jet-PropeIIed Planes

Nazi jet-propelled planes, for the
first time since their development,
came up few days ago in consider
able strength and broke through our
fighter escort defenses to attack our
bombers. Heretofore, as if feeling
their way and testing new tactics,
they had appeared in the German
skies only occasionally-singly or in
.pairs-but now they have apparently
learned how to operate in fairly
large numbers.
The strength of the jet-propelled
plane is in its extraordinary speed,
which has been estimated at some
thing like 500 miles an hour in
straight flight and well over 300
miles an hour in a vertical dive
There is some question about it's
maneuverability. but after its re-
cent notable showing, Associated
Press reports from London de-
clared that it literally flew rings"
around our four-engined bombers
II this is true, it takes little imagi-
nation to visualize what these new
aircraft might be able to do to our
relatively slow-moving Fortresses
and Liberators.
1t would be a mistake, however, to
exaggerate the significance of the
3et-propelled plane at this stage of
the war in Europe. Primarily a de-
fensive weapon. its range at present
Is reported to be markedly short,
which means that its combat ca
pacity is proportionately limited. II
the Nazis had had it in large num-
bers year ago. together with an
adequate force of pilots specially
trained to handle it, it might have
been a threat Of such magnitude to
our British American aerial Of
fensive that the general Allied mil
itary outlook today might not be
nearly so bright as it is. But as mat
ters stand, there is every reason to
doubt that the Germans have been
sble to produce this weapon in guam
tity or that the Luftwaffe is in a
position to do much with it, beyond
using it sporadically. Not to be over
looked, moreover, is the fact that al
though we seem to have employed it
SO far only against the flying bomb,
we and the British are turning out
a similar weapon.
Considering the desperate situa-
ton in which Germany now finds
itself, the iet-propelled plane does
not seem destined to play an i'm
portant role in the European
theater. But since 1t is already in ex-
tstence and since its potentialities
are deadly in the extreme, it may
well figure very largely in the
Evening star., 1945-02-19
To Save Their Own Skins

tcCCllb IcpOI Us 1IOLI AOI1uOI1, EdI Is
and Moscow serve to remind us that
when Germany finally goes down,
the task of apprehending the Nazi
war criminals may be far more diff
cult than is generally supposed. Thus,
in London. a word of caution has
been raised against placing too much
faith in Berlin announcements of
deaths of high officials in Hitler's
hierarchy, the reason for skepticism
being the possibility that the an
nouncements are deliberately faxed
to enable the subjects to assume new
identities and escape Allied justice.
Similarly, from Paris and Moscow
comes the report that Heinrich
Himmler has ordered the Gestapo to
destroy all membership lists of the
Nazi party. Such a move. coupled
with taxing of deaths, could be most
useful in helping large numbers of
Nazis to give themselves new names
and new occupations. with which
they might be able to dissolve into
the German mass as harmless look
ing characters: For Hitler, Himmler,
Goebbels, Goering and the rest of the
more conspicuous party leaders. a
disappearing act of this sort might
be much less easy, but multitudes of
others guilty Of crimes against Ger
mans and non Germans alike-the
obscure SubfuehrerS-are not famil-
lar figures to us and it is conceivable
that they will succeed in eluding us
for long time. if not forever.
The other very real possibility
indeed, it seems more probability
is that when organized resistance
falls apart in the Reich. the fore
most Nazis will retreat with large
armed forces into the mountain
Businesses of Southern Germany,
there to put up protracted guerrilla
struggle and possibly to attempt to
blackmail their way to safety by
bargaining for their lives with the
lives OF the many prominent hos
tages now in Hitler's hands. Such
tactics, of course, would not prevent
the total German defeat that has
become inevitable. but they could
complicate our Allied task, since this
natural fortress area could probably
hold out for considerable period of
time and exact more than a little
blood of those attacking it,
Ruthless, resourceful and desper-
ate. the Nazis will almost certainly
go to any and every length, no mat
ter how evil. to save their skins as
long as possible. They are in their
last days now. but the number OF
those days may yet run into many
hard and bitter weeks of fighting
before their capacity to resist is
broken. And even then, after the
shooting stops. many of them. with
new identities, with a change of
dress, disguised as innocents, may
manage somehow to slip through our
hands. We can be sure, at any rate,
that they have made plans to that
end and that they will sell them
selves dearly. To assume otherwise.
to assume that they will all be easily
taken. would be to make the mistake
OF forgetting that desperadQes. like
animals, can be cunning and danger
GUS in the extreme when they are
trapped.