Detroit evening times., 1946-01-13

CHICAGO-This is Okinawa in the wake of
" one of the bloodiest battles in the history
of the u. S. Army, 1000 miles from Tokyo.
We rebuilt at considerable cost the island
we had TO smash. 1t is a slow and painful
task. Enormous airfelds-for B-29s and the
super new B-36s-mark the rough, green, roll
ing land Fine white concrete roads criss-
cross it, But the towns and settlements the
Oknawans once grubbed in are fattened-a
steeple with a cross is the only thing stand
ing in one town of 25,000.
Our own housing remains primitive, for
our labors were expended mainly on making
Oknawa a suitable military base from which
TO hop off on the planned invasion of Japan.
Our bulldozers still gnaw away at hills, we
dredge harbors try TO reclaim shipping lost
in the great typhoon--whch did considerable
damage. Hundreds of cargo ships dot the
harbors some of which have been standing
for months waiting to be unloaded There is
no maj surplus problem at Okinawa except
surplus planes and spare parts.
The work is hard for our men. They have
little recreation, but keep well. What we can
never reclaim are the 25000 men we lost in
the capture of the island. One hundred thou
sand Japs were killed here.
WE FLEW on to Manila, another 1000
w miles passing over Bataan and Corregi-
dor on the way. We all felt q depressing
sense of grief and pain when we thought of
the suffering and humiliation Americans suf-
fered at those two places because we did not
heed the appeals of our officers TO properly
prepare our country for invasion.
In the Philippines the surplus troubles are
pf a
We have sent home the men best able TO care
for our fortune in supplies. The repacements
are entirely inadequate and, of course, in
experienced.
We have some breath taking surpluses
theFe-At Clark Field, which IS trimmed by
the remains of hundreds Of Jap planes, / saw
over one billion dollars worth of American
bombers fighters, transport and reconnaissance
planes with spares. 1t is veritabe sea OF
planes. A vast, vast majority of them will
have TO be broken up into scrap. Modern as
some Of them are, they are still outmoded and
are ill-equipped to be flown or shipped home.
INDEED, there are as many transports at
Il Clark Field alone as the entire u. S. COM
mercial system possessed at the outbreak of
the war We plan to keep a minimum num-
ready TO 60 to work on any task here. But
II is difficult even 10 keep these in tptop
shape Their seasoned custodians are gone.
The men had enough points" and no suit
ably trained men have been sent in their
stead.
The thievery Of our supplies iy al its worst
in the Philippines. for it is organized. In some
countries where populaces are preying on our
surpuses some efforts are made TO punish
the guilty.
But at Clark Field, to name one place, the
local authorities give very light sentences
which usually are not served--or dismiss
cases altogether. Stolen parachutes bring big
prices in the black market, because of their
fine material, which is made into clothing.
Rations, tools flashlights, tires - even
trucks and jeeps-are stolen. Clark Field is
90 miles from Manila by railroad. In one week
nine carloads of meat en- route to Clark Field
latons prohibit our men from shooting at
thieves They must be tackled, a. gently as
possible and turned over to local authorities.
Often they are set free by officials patiently in
on the racket.
OUR boys are fighting a losing battle TO
" protect the property of the American tax
payers. l was asked repeatedly to urge
Washington to send enough men TO the Phil
ippines TO protect our stores, and to give our
men the right TO use their weapons when
necessary.
Nowhere did see more vivid example