Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-29
No Time to Let Down

/
the Rhine River victory statement
by General Eisenhower deserve to
be read together and interpreted in
the light of what has been done and
what remains to be done in this
country.
The military commanders speak
with justifiable pride of great
achievements. In the Pacific, &C
cording to Admiral King. we have
outrun our own expectations. The
effects of the defeats of three years
ago have been shaken off and we
are now moving into positions from
which we can assault the heart of
japanese strength" In Europe. Gen.
eral Eisenhower, with abundant rea-
son, describes the triumph at the
Rhine as zone of the greatest vic
tories of this or any other war"
The Germans are now paying the
penalty for their military errors
the attempt to contain the Allies in
Normandy, the desperate counter
attack at Ardennes and the refusal
to withdraw across the Rhine before
retreat became impossible. Today
the Wehrmacht is a disorganized
and beaten army, victim of dis
aster which may be greater than
yet indicated by the news dis
patches.
1t would be most unwiSe, however,
to assume that final victory in either
Europe or the Pacific is just around
the corner. The end of organized
resistance in Europe cannot be too
far away, but General Eisenhower
emphasizes that he has not written
off that war. mo one knows what
the German can do in his own coun-
try" he declares. But he is trying
to do everything that he can. I be-
lleve that, so far as he is able, the
German will stand and fight wher-
ever we find him" Admiral King
says much the same thing that the
very speed of our advance in the
Pacific has created many new prob
lens, and that I'VE must never for
get that there is long, tough and
laborious road ahead"
These admonitions are not de-
signed to fit into play-it-safe pat
tern, nor to throw cold water on
legitimate hopes that are bound to
be raised by military successes. But
Admiral King and General Eisen-
hover, with all of the others re-
sponsible for the conduct of the
war, undoubtedly are concerned lest
these important but nonetheless
preliminary successes give rise to a
degree of optimism which would
hamper the military effort. They
know that any letup now will exact
its price in the form of longer war
and a greater loss of life, even
though ultimate victory be assured.
For this reason they are determined
to keep the pressure on, so that
neither Germany nor Japan will
have the slightest opportunity to
recuperate or reorganize.
This same thought was in the
mind of the President when he wrote
his letter to Senator Thomas urging
the Senate to adopt the compromise
manpower bill. 1t is not the best
bill that could have been written.
But it is the best bill that can be
obtained at this late date, and it
gives reasonable assurance that the
day of final victory will not be
postponed by any letdown at home.
That is the dominant, overriding
argument in favor of it's adoption,
and 1t Is on that basis that it has
the unanimous support of the men
who have been entrusted with the
responsibility of directing this war.
Because we have trusted their judg-
ment in the past this has been the
best conducted war in our history,
and the Senate will be taking risky
course If it decides now to overrule
their judgment as the conflict is
entering it's decisive phase.