Evening star., 1945-10-10

invasion. The U. S. S. r. was at
tempting to repel German inva-
sion ON her western front reaching
to the gates of the capital. The
United States had become the
arsenal of democracy, with major
efforts directed toward the support
and preservation of our European
Allies.
Japan Ready for Conquest.
The Tripartite Pact had been
signed, giving Japan a free hand
in Asia. She had large and rela-
lively well-equipped army and a
moderately good air force well
trained by actual combat in China
She had obtained by forced agree
ment a staging area in French
Indo- China. She had a fairly large
navy especially strong in the trans
port craft available. She had ac-
cumulated by great national
economy a good stockpile of stra-
tegic materiels at home for the
initial effort and with each sue
cessive conquest she obtained new
and important areas from which
other supplies of materials could
be drawn, such as oil, rubber and
metal. The japanese mistakenly
believed in the hearty cooperation
of liberated" peoples Of the So
called Greater East Asia Co-ProS-
perity Sphere with their huge labor
pools. Japan considered herself
ready to strike.
Japans objective was the con-
quest, consolidation and eventual
domination of the whole Far East.
She intended to make her conquest
in rapid surprise drive which
would overpower all resistance, to
form an iron ring of outer defenses
against which the spiritually in
ferior, pacifiistic combination of
opponents could beat themselves
into WEAKNESS, while she consoli-
dated her gains at leisure.
The best estimate of Japans
plan for the accomplishment of
her obJectives appears to be the
following:
l. Neutralize or destroy the
United States Pacific Fleet by an
attack on Pearl Harbor.
2. Drive rapidly south overcoming
the Philippines and the Southwest
and South Pacific Islands in order
to cut sea routes of supply or at
tack from the east and gain the
vast natural resources of the East
Indies.
3. Cut Chinas supply line from
the west by an invasion of Burma.
4. Form a flank by the seizure of
the naval base of Singapore and
the islands of Sumatra and Java.
/ S. Isolate or possibly invade Aus
tralia.
6. Invade the Hawaiian Islands
via Midway.
Z. Invade the Aleutian Islands to
form northern flank, dependent
on initial successes and retained
momentum.
3. Bring the American Northwest
under aerial bombardment, raid our
West Coast aviation industries and
then seize critical areas.
9. Stimulate unrest to eventual
revolution in India.
Jap Strategy Fails.
The Japanese strategic plan ini-
TALLY failed when she missed the
opportunity of landing troops on
Hawaii, capturing Oahu and the
important bases there, and denying
us a necessary focal point from
which to launch operations in the
Western Pacific.
There can be no doubt that the
greed and the mistakes of the war
making nations as well as the heroic
stands of the British and Soviet
peoples saved the United States a
war on her own soil. The crisis
had come and passed at Stalingrad
and Ell Alamein before this Nation
was able to gather sufficient re-
sources to participate in the fight
in a determining manner. Had the
U. S. S. r. and the British Army of
the Nile been defeated in 1912, as
they well might if the Germans
Japanese and Italians had better
co-ordinated their plans and re-
sources and successive operations,
we should have stood today in the
Western Hemisphere confronted by
enemies who controlled q greater
part Of the world.
Our close approach to that ter
rifying situation should have a
sobering influence on Americans for
generations to come. Yet, this is
only prelude of what can be ex-
pected so long as there are nations
on earth capable of waging total
war.
On August 6 the entire world
learned from President Trumans
announcement that man had en-
tered into a new era-that atomic
power had been harnessed.
This discovery of American scien-
lists can be mans greatest benefit
And it can destroy him. 1t is against
the latter terrible possibility that
this Nation must prepare or perish
AtnY,nin y,nu,ar will aHaof tba vaann