Evening star., 1945-06-01
Special Message
Informs Congress
OfPocific Strategy
(Tert OF President Trunan's S MESSAGE
on Page A-6.)
BY J. A. FOX.

By j. A. FOX.
An Allied force of 1000 900 men
will be thrown against Japan
President Truman told Congress
in a special message today in
which he outlined the problems
to be faced in carrying the war
into the Pacific.
THE joint chiefs of staff, after
consultation with Gen. Macarthur
and Admiral Nimitz, have decided
that our Army can deliver its
heaviest blows in the Pacific, and
win final victory most quickly with
strength which a year from now
will be about 100000" the Presi-
dent said.
BY maintaining our Army at this
size, we shall be able to more than
double the force we now have in
the Pacific, and hurl against the
Japanese an overseas force larger
than the 3,500000 men who united
with our Allies to crush the Wehr-
macht and the Luftwaffe."
Policy Outlined.
Mr.. Truman declared the military
policy for defeat of Japan calls for:
Il. Pinning down the japanese
forces where they now are and
keeping them divided so that they
can be destroyed piece by piece.
.. Concentrating overwhelming
power on each segment which we
attack
"3 Using ships, aircraft, armor,
artillery and all other materiel in
massive concentrations to gain vic
tory with the smallest possible loss
of life.
q. Applying relentless and in
creasing pressure to the enemy by
sea, and on the land, so that he
cannot rest, reorganize or regroup
his battered forces or dwindling
supplies to meet our next attack"
Strategy to Be Repeated.
President Truman also said it is
intended to send every physically fit
soldier in the United States, who has
net yet served overseas, on foreign
duty, when training is completed or
as soon as replacement can be
found if he is performing important
administrative duties.
He said too that it is the Ad-
ministration's policy to induct all
non-veterans under 80 years of age
who can be replaced, and can quail
ify for the armed services.
"The strategy of the war in Europe
was to have all the men who could
be effectively deployed on land and
sea to crush the German military
machine in the shortest possible
time. That is exactly what we plan
to do to Japan" the President said.
President Truman said the Army
intends to discharge 100000 men
in the next IL months and ION the
basis of present estimates, only a
small fraction of the men now in
Europe will have to go directly to
the Far East without stopping off
at home"
Army strength will be cut from
100000 to 6,e68,OO0.
Sizing up japanese strength, Mr.,
Truman said that their surface Navy
has been reduced to fraction of
its former self" He added: I'VE
have driven their ships into hiding
and their naval aircraft back to
their shore baseS.''
The President also said that "the
air force of Japan is not as strong
an opponent as the Luftwaffe."
Defense Area Shrinks.
Further on japanese air power,
the President said: CAS- we ap-
proach the enemy's homeland the
density of his air power becomes
greater and greater. A year and a
half ago the enemy had more than
5000 operating airplanes to guard
perhaps 100000 square miles of
area. We could attack wherever we
saw that the defense was thinly
spread. Since then, we have reduced
his total air power very much, but
the area he is now forced to defend
has been shrunk so much more
quickly by our rapid advance. that
the density of his air power is four
or five times as great as it was.
"I'his means tough fighting in
the air. 1t means the loss of ships.
It means damage to ships that must
be replaced or brought back thou
sands of miles for repair"
And as American forces near the
japanese homeland losses are be-
coming more severe and I'VE shall
have to expect more damage rather
than less
In this connection, the President
said that the Navy still needs civil
ian labor, particularly in the yards,
where ships are repaired
100 Combat Divisions.
On the question Of japanese
armed strength, the President said
that they now have 1000, 900 troops
under arms, force larger than the
Germans were ever able to muster.
Behind these, he continued, they
have several million additional men
OF military age who have not been
called to the colors.
He said the Japanese Army is
organized into 100 combat divisions,
and that its air force still comprises
more than 5000 combat planes.
Our raiding attack, the President
said. has cut into japanese produc-
ton but the enemy can still turn
out from 1880 to 1,5O0 planes a
month.
At the outset of his message, Pres
ident Truman paid tribute to the
planning of the late President
Roosevelt, and said he thought it
appropriate at this time to inform
the Congress and my countrymen
of some of the problems, difficulties
and dangers which confront us in
finishing this war-and how we ex-
pect to meet them"
He emphasized that those heading
our war effort, "do not underesti-
mate the difficulties of crushing an
enemy defended by vast distances
(See MESSAGF pa0e A60