Detroit evening times., 1945-02-28
BEHIND
NEWS
BY Paul
MaHon

M AOIll4NI OANt Gu. "a
w government official and a
magazine writer back from lib
Grated countries in Europe met
a small, trusted group of Sena-
tors a few days ago with a sur
pTlslng story.
They reported they had found
especially trained Russian pOlit-
ical administrators had gone
into those Balkan countries
from which even our officials
have been excluded frequently
10 lndoctrinate the countries
with Communist ways.
They have made remarkable
headWay in Bulgaria Yugo-
SlaVia and Rumania.
These two American authOri-
tics told the senator's these
Balkan governments. as we'll as
those Of Czecho-Slovakia and
Hungary, will reflect the as
Cendancy of Russia, and the
people will accept Russian DOM
lnation as coming from their
llberators.
Anti-Fascist forces ruthlesSly
have eXterminated all oppoSi-
tlon, they said, staging not only
executions but some deaths
which history would class as
murders Cthe old familiar totali-
tartan way of liquidating rivalsD
Elections in these countries
will be useless, they said, be-
cause only one party will be al
lowed 10 vote, or, indeed, viii
care TO vote.
A DM. NIMITZ' choice of Two
"A instead of Formosa for the
next step after Manila gave
solid threat to the warnings of
our military leaders that we
are headed toward Tokyo di-
rectly and not-as formerly
planned-a step-by-step Siding
campaign through the China
coast. 1t might bring an end to
the Asiatic war a year or more
ahead of former expectations.
The Volcano, Bonin and Ry.
ukyu islands adjacent SOUTH
ward OF Japan must be seized
even beyond the Two venture TO
afford land bases for our planes
to cover any attack upon the
Jap mainland.
Obviously. now we are pre-
pairing for spring campaign in
that direction. What would
greatly help also in this respect
is a Russian move against Japan
which would place Siberian air
bases to our use.
Under this new strategy, after
we get TO Tokyo, we would have
10 chase the bulk of the Jap
land armies over the continent
of Asia, but certainly this can
better-he done by first seizing
the source of Jap power and
authority at home-a step which
has long been advocated in this
spot, and now made fully feas-
ible by Jap weakness. (They
have excellent new planes, in
cluding some of the jet type, OF
which we have none yet. but
their navy is not A fighting force
and they cannot match us in
power either in the air or on
land.)
SMALL mustard seeds Of de-
~ traction of Gen. Macarthur
somehow have been finding
their anonymous, mysterious
way into the news. These sug-
gest the JapS did not defend
Luzon, and recapture Of Manila
was a walk-over, the implica-
tion being that this was not
hard-fought or brilliant cam
paign.
The Jap fight for Luzon and
Manila was made on Leyte, and
IT was a vicious struggle. Listen
to this.
Seven thousand dead Jap
bodies were picked up and
counted by us on the Leyte
battlefields. Fifty TO sixty
thousand more were killed on
land, in the air, and particu-
larly upon their naval ships in
the desperate bid they made TO
cut off our Leyte landing forces
by using the bulk of their fleet
in three striking moves About
10000 Japs were slain in
Leyte resistance to Macarthur,
and inestimable numbers of adj
ditional Japs were wounded.
True, they did not have much
left for the defense of Luzon,
and the bulk of their force
SHE'D away 10 the northern end
of the island. Heaviest resist
ance has come from the north
ern flank, although notice of it
has been lost in the more spec
tacular entry into Manila.
Small Jap forces also remain in
Cebu, Mindoro, and two or
three other Philippine spots,
but they will not be trouble
some without air power.
MacArthur's capture Of Cor
regidor was in line with the
brilliant plan of the whole
Philippine campaign. The Japs
required weeks TO take il by
storm at considerable loss.
Macarthur air-pounded il daily.
then surprise-captured 1t by
paratroops, weeks ahead of
normal expectations.
Unless Macarthur leads the
land forces in conjunction with