The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-10-10

heneIC or iC mignC destroy nm. buG, he added, aircraft, rockets and elec- tronics hold almost as incredible potentialities.
 Jet Planes
 Quoting Gen. H. H. Arnold, com mantier of the Air Forces, Marshall predicted that the next five years may, set jet planes flying at 700 miles an hour at 50,O0O feet altitude to strike targets 2,000 miles away. He said single bombs weighing 45,- 900 pounds = 22 1-2 tons exist now. Fifty-ton bombs have been blue-printed.
 9Th security of the United States was saved by sea distances, by Allies, and by the errors of a prepared enemy Marshall said. For prob ably the last time in the history of warfare those ocean distances were vital factor in our defense.
 we may elect again to depend on others and the whin and error of potential enemies, but If we do we will be carrying the treasure and freedom of this great nation in a paper bag"
 Marshall set no size for the post war regular army, but he outlined its functions.
 He said 1t should be comprised largely of strategic force, heavy in air power, partially deployed in the Pacific and Caribbean, and ready to protect the nation against sudden thrusts.
 Lightning War
 Tt is ogvious that another war would start with a lightning attack to take us unaware" "he said. "The pace of the attack would be at supersonic speeds of rocket weapons closely followed by a striking force which would seek to exploit the in- itial and critical advantage.
 We must hold the enemy at @ distance until we can rapidly mobil- ize our strength"
 He said War Department plan ners believed the nations position will be sound If We set up machin- cry which will permit the mobiliz- ation of an army of 100000 men within period of one year follow ing any international crisis result ing in national emergency for the United States"
 Marshall said manpower mobiliz- ation must be backed by industrial mobilization because modern war; fare means total warfare involving all the economic, scientific and hu- man resources of a nation.
 He said there must be funds for development of military weapons which have no commercial counter. part. That includes fighter planes and anti-aircraft weapons. There must also be master plan for swift mass production of war materiel in event of an emergency. That would mitigate the need for a huge stock pile which would rapidly become obsolete in the light of continuing research and development.
 Marshall said the nation still doesn't appreciate how thin the threat of Allied survival was stretched in 1942.
 In good conscience this nation can take little credit for its part in stav- ing of disaster in these critical days" he said. Tt Is certain that the re- fusal of the British and Russian people to accept what appeared to be inevitable defeat was Q great fac- tor in the salvage of our civilization. Of almost equal importance was the failure of the enemy to make the most of the situation"
 Interrogation of captured German officers indicated the Axis had no overall strategic plan, he reported.
 1taly's entrance into the war was contrary to an agreement with Ger. many. Italy was constant burden on Germany.
 Japan also apparently acted inde- pendently.
 Hitler's unorthodox methods were so successful that his generals did not challenge his fatal decision to invade Russia.
 Among the Axis errors, Marshall listed:
 Failure to invade England after France fell in 1040, largely for lack of plan.
 Germany over-extended herself trying to save the Italians in the Balkans and Africa and had no plan to meet Allied landings in Africa.
 Germany failed before Moscow in l04l in the face of stubborn Rus sian defenseS and lack of plans for a winter campaign. Marshall called the Moscow battle the turning point of the war.
 He said Germany might have saved something then if she hadn't Squandered her resources at Stalin- grad and underestimated the Rus sian potential. Finally, Hitler blum dered in attempting to stand in Normandy instead of falling back to deep line.
 Japan during this time was trying to consolidate her dominance of Asia instead of plunging to meet the German forces driving eastward.
 Had the U. s. s. R. and the Bri- tish Army of the Nile been defeated In 1922, as well they might we should have stood today in the western hemisphere confronted by enemies who controlled a greater part of the world.
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