Evening star., 1945-01-06

have been cut in two. There is stiil
hard fighting ahead costly fight
| ing. But the liberation OF the
] Philippines will mean that Japan
has been largely cut of from her
conquest In the East Indies.
| The landing of our troops on
Leyte was the largest amphibious
operation thus far conducted in the
; Pacific.
Moreover, these landings drew the
! Japanese fleet into the first great
sea battle which Japan has risked
In almost two years. Not since the
night engagements around GuadaI-
canal in November-D 1912,
had our Navy been able to come to
! grips with major units of the jap
anese fleet. We had brushed against
, their fleet in the first battle of the
, Philippine Sea In June, 1914, but
not until last October were we able
really to engage major portion Of
the Japanese Navy in actual COM
bat. The naval engagement which
ragged for three days was the heav-
lest blow ever struck against Jap
anese sea power.
AS the result of that battle, much
of what is left of the Japanese fleet
has been driven behind the screen
of islands that separates the Yellow
/ Sea, the China Sea. and the Sea
of Japan from the Pacific.
Navy Looking Forward to
Any Opportunity.
Our Navy looks forward to any
opportunity which the lords of the
japanese Navy will give us to fight
them again
| The people of this Nation have
a right to be proud of the courage
and fighting ability of the men in
the armed forces-on all fronts.
They also have right to be proud
of American leadership which has
guided their sons into battle.
The history of the generalship of
this war has been a history of team
work and cooperation, of skill and
i daring. Let me give you one ex-
ample out of last years operations
in the Pacific.
Last September Admiral Halsey
led American naval task forces into
Philippine waters and north to the
East China Sea, and struck heavy
blows at Japanese air and sea
power.
At that time. it was our plan to
approach the Philippines by further
stages, taking islands which we may
call A, c and e. However, Admiral
Ealsey reported that direct attack
on Leyte appeared, feasible. When
Gen. Macarthur received the re-
ports from Admiral Halsey's task
forces. he also concluded that it
might be possible to attack the jap
anese in the Philippines directly
by-passing islands A, C and E.
Admiral Nimitz thereupon offered
to make available to Gen. Mac
Arthur several divisions which had
been scheduled to take the inter-
mediate detectives. These discus
sions, conducted at great distances,
all took place in one day.
! Gen sIacArthur Immediately in
formed the Joint Chiefs of Staff
here in Washington that he was pre-
pared to initiate plans for an attack
on Leyte in October. Approval of
the change in plan was given on the
same day.
Major Changes Accomplished
Within "a Hours.
Thus, within the space of "a
hours, major change of plans
was accomplished which involved
Army and Navy forces from two diff
ferent theaters of -operations-a
change which hastened the liberia
tion Of the Philippines and the final
day of victory-a change which saved
lives which would have been ex-
|pended in the capture of islands
which are now neutralized far be-
hind our lines.
+ Our overall strategy has not ne
/ elected the important task of rem
dering all possible aid to China. De-
spite almost insuperable difficulties,
we increased this aid during 1914.
At present our aid to China must be
accomplished by air transport-there
is no other way. BY the end Of 1914,
the Air Transport Command was
carrying into China a tonnage of
supplies three times as great as that
delivered a year ago, and much
more, each month. than the Burma
road ever delivered at its peak.
Despite the loss of important
bases in China, the tonnage deliv-
cred by air transport has enabled
Gen. Chennault's 14th Air Force,
which includes many Chinese flyers.
to wage an effective and aggressive
campaign against the japanese. In
1914, aircraft of the 14th Air Force
flew more than $4,000 sorties against
the Japanese and sank enormous
tonnage of enemy shipping, greatly
diminishing the usefulness of the
China Sea lanes.
| British, Dominion and Chinese
forces together with our own have
not only held the line in Burma
against determined Japanese at
tacks, but have gained bases of con-
siderable Importance to the supply
line into China.
The Burma campaigns have in
volved incredible hardship, and have
demanded exceptional fortitude and
determination. The officers and
men who have served with so much
devotion in these far distant jungles
and mountains deserve high honor
from their countrymen.
Pays Tribute to Average
Hard-Fighting Youngsters.
In all of the far-f1ung opera tions
LOT our own armed forces-on land,
and sea and in the air-the final
job, the toughest job, has been per-
formed by the average, easy-going
hard fighting young American who
carries the weight of battle on his
own shoulders.
1t is to him that we and all fu-
ture generations of Americans must
pay grateful tribute.
Butt is OF small satisfaction to
him to know that monuments will
be raised to him in the future. He
wants, he needs, and he is entitled
| Tn inSicf 1IYNNp n,1r full orI