Evening star., 1946-07-21

encouragement in such neglect. Hit
Ter relied heavily upon 1t. The
Japanese never would have attacked
Pearl Harbor if they had not cor
rectly assessed the weakness of our
defenses In the Pacific.
Larger overall appropriations to
the armed forces, beginning at the
time of Japanese occupation of
Manchuria when the threat to peace
in the Far East became evident,
might have made war unnecessary
and would have paid for itself many
times over in reduced casualties and
expenditures had war still been un-
advoidable =
IF the United States is not to
be forced to hasty and inadequate
mobilization every time the threat
OF aggression rises in the world, it
Is essential that in the field of mill
tary weapons and tactics she be
technically not merely abreast of,
but actually ahead of any potential
aggressor.
The threat of immediate re-
taliatlon with striking force of
our own should deter any aggressor
from attacking"
It's suggestions for assuring Amer
lean strength, the survey said, are
not intended to mean an arms race
with other nations, but should be
carried out within the framework of
the United Nations.
The report urged "the most in
tense effort to perfect defenses
against surprise attack through the
air by conventional bombing planes
or guided missiles-such as rockets
carrying atomic explosives.
Since 1t would be rash to expect
any defense could prevent penetra-
ton OF some enemy planes or guided
missiles, the report declared that If
this country is not to risk being
overwhelmed out of hand" it must
reduce materially its vulnerability
to such attack.
Civilian casualties, 1t said, can be
cut to one-twentieth of what they
would be without such techniques
by a program of progressive evac-
uation, dispersal, warning, snelters
and post-raid emergency ssistance." ."
Dispersal Plan Suggested.
1t added that economic vulner-
ability can be enormously decreased
by a wel-worked out program of
stockpiles, dispersal and special con-
struction of particularly significant
segments of industry"
Among conclusions drawn from its
study of the Pacific war, the Survev
reported that effectiveness of high
level" air attack was over-estimated
When B-29's bombed Japan from
10000 feet, "the percentage of bombs
dropped which hit the target areas
averaged less than 10 per cent.
Bombing accuracy increased sub
stantially, and averaged IS to 40 per
cent within 1000 feet of the aiming
point in daylight attacks from 20
600 feet or lower -.
The accuracy of low-level car
rler plane attack was high, being
at least so per cent hits within $50
feet of the aiming point"
The report said bombing of Japan
destroyed some 40 per cent of the
built-up area of the 66 cities at
tackled
1t estimated total civilian casual
ties in Japan, as a result of nine
months Of air attack, including
those from the atomic bombs, at
100000. Approximately 100000 of
these were fatalities. BY contrast.
the Japanese estimated their COM
bat casualties during the entire war
at 10000.
The survey listed aggregate jap
anese plane. losses at : 5ooO0.. as
against $1,000 American planes lost
IN the Pacific. 1t put the total ton
mage of bombs dropped by Allied
planes in the Pacific at 656 400. of
which "a per cent fell on the J Jap-
anese home islands.