Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1945-06-14
Il Might Be.

P. G. STROMBERG

THERE is so much desire ON
the part Of our American
people to see an early ending
of the Japanese War that an al
most unmatched unity is behind
all moves toward waging total
war against the Nipponese. AS 1
stated last week the little home
island is being given a more con-
centrated dose
Unmatched of bombing than
Unity larger Germany
Against JapS ever got. To
many of us it
seems that once we destroy
Japan's ability to wage war from
home we will have destroyed her
as well in China, Manchuria,
Sumatra, Java, and other con-
Guered territories. That she will
be a much weakened foe is I'M
questioned. But our military
observers tell US that for a num-
Der of years she has been build
ing up complete facilities for
manufacturing war-making ma
terials in Manchuria MAN
chuko).
It therefore behooves us to be
patient and tolerant even though
entertaining hope. Hope, after
all, is the supreme human char
acteristic. Without hope life
loses zest and there remains no
incentive to live. Hopes bring
Aisappointments and disappoint-
ments make realizations more
Joyful. So while we pray hope
fully for an early end to the
Japanese conflict we stand ready
to carry on to final and complete
victory for the sole purpose of
destroying the worlds greatest
national enemy against civiliza-
ton.
We are almost lost when we
vry to anaylze the entire area of
warfare in the Pacific, on the
many islands and in Asia. 1t is
undoubtedly true that most of
us know too lit
Greatest tie of the geog-
National raphy of that
Enemy portion of the
world. But it
remains a fact that goodly por-
ton of the entire earth's sur
face lies in the area now COW
cred by our land, sea and air
forces.
Many long miles of hard fight
ing lie ahead if we must con-
quer the Japs by amphibious in
vasions. The greatest hope lies
in surrender under the heavy
pounding of the homeland. The
next hope is to train and equip
the Chinese to the point where
use of our land forces will be
almost eliminated in the job of
chasing the Japs out of China
and Manchuria. In China there
is unbounded manpower and little
equipment for making war. We
have an abundance of equipment
and too few men to spare to do
the entire job for the Chinese
nd Britain. While the present
attitude favors waging total war
Gland, sea and air) until uncon-
ditional surrender there is still
some official backing for the idea
of letting the Chinese do the
land fighting with equipment
furnished by America and under
direction of American training
personnel. If this policy be
adopted the war will naturally
run longer but will be less costly
in men although probably more
costly in resources.
Whether the end of the Jap
anese War comes earlier or
later has a d.
UnbOunded rect bearing on
'ManpOwer postwar econ =
In China omy. Should
the Japs sur
render suddenly this year there
will be mad scramble to get
back on a peace-time basis which
will result in a problem of un-
employment and cause a ter
rife strain on the country's eff
fort to control initiation. Should
the war run for at least another
year the absorption of unem-
ployed into normal industry will
have prevented a big employ
ment problem and should the war
last two or more years our
peace-time economy will have al