Show NA NATIONAL AFFAIRS Reviewed fay by CARTER FIELD Constant Check on Japan Seen Necessary Necessary Necessary sary State So So- Socialism Socialism Socialism After War Bell Dell Syndicate te Features Futures The WASHINGTON The recent inva inva- invasion invasion invasion sion of Burma by the British intensified intensified fied fled the controversy here as to whether the plan of concentrating everything possible to knock out Hit HIt- Hitler HItler Hitler ler leaving Japan Japon to be polished off oft afterwards was sound strategy Some highly placed officials have taken no pains to conceal their con con- conviction conviction conviction that such a policy would cost America and Britain dearly in lives and treasure They think that ev eve every every ery cry day Japan is left to exploit the resources of Java Malaya Su Su- Sumatra Sumatra Su- Su Sumatra matra Borneo the Philippines and the remainder of her conquests will wUl make it much more difficult to de de- defeat defeat de- de defeat feat her Further they think time is work work- working working working ing FOR Japan and AGAINST Hit Hit- Hitler Hitter ler ter Not that anyone holding this theory disapproves of the North Af M- African African rican campaign But mostly they think that campaign should be lim lim- limited limIted in scope To illustrate their view of ot limita limita- limitation limitation limitation tion they want the Nazis and Ital Ital- Italians Italians Italians ians driven completely out of Africa Following that they would approve seizure of various islands including including including ing Crete and perhaps Sardinia and Corsica though not necessarily the latter two They would have air power concentrated at strategic points on the North African coast and on the islands now held and to tobe tobe tobe be captured for a continuous at at- attack attack attack tack on Italy Nazi installations in Greece etc This they point out would achieve what they regard as the greatest possible effect at the least possible cost Stop Italian Supplies Decidedly they would not plan an invasion of continental Europe by British and American forces Their program would permit the use of the Mediterranean to supply Russia through the south while making ut ut- utterly utterly ut- ut utterly terly impossible Nazi gains in the Caucasus next summer It would bring about so much trouble in It Italy It- It Italy Italy aly that not only would this lesser Axis partner be unable to supply Germany with planes guns and ma ma- machines machines machines chines from its formerly highly ef ef- efficient efficient efficient factories before the RAF rains on Italy began but would provoke a situation inside Italy which would require large numbers of ot German troops to control With a sufficient force retained in North Africa to prevent any sur sur- surprise surI surprise I prise moves by Germany those I holding this view of the better strat strat- strategy strategy strategy egy would then have both Britain and America concentrate on Japan It is well known at present they point out that Japans Japan's chief weak- weak weakness weakness weakness ness is ships to supply her far- far flung expeditionary forces It so happens that Burma would be an excellent place to force the fighting if we wc can deliver the force there because supplying of the Japanese forces in that area requires sea transportation They reason further that the British could take as heavy toll of Japans Japan's convoys to Burma as the Nazis have been taking of our convoys to northern Russia with the very important difference that we can produce the ships as fast as they are sunk whereas it is confidently believed that the Japa Japa- Japanese Japanese Japanese nese will be unable to do so War After Reconstruction By Private Enterprise Is the United States going to turn rapidly to state socialism after the war That question is brought squarely before the country by a recent speech by Maj Gen Philip B. B B Flem Flem- Fleming Fleming ing administrator of the Federal Works agency and is of considerably bly more vital importance to the average American than whether the Four Freedoms prevail inside the Soviet Republics following the con con- conclusion conclusion conclusion of hostilities or whether there should be complete religious freedom in Iran General Fleming does not men men- mention mention mention tion the word socialism But it itt takes t very little reading between the lines to see where the policy of ofa ofa ofa a great gre 11 many important govern govern- governmental governmental mental figures will take us Fleming predicts a situation which will result in tremendously in in- increased inere creased ere government operation par par- particularly particularly particularly in the housing field He quotes President Witherow of ot the National Association of Manu Manu- Manufacturers Manufacturers Manufacturers as saying The task of economic reconstruction after the war must be that of private enter enter- enterprise enterprise enterprise prise and private capital can and will do the job if the government would declare that private capital will be encouraged to provide the motive power for postwar war recon recon- I am not quite sure that I 1 know what that means says General Fleming but with the events of the still clearly in mind I am just a little bit skeptical anyway I still think there will be a job for fo forthe forthe the government to do and that the government owes some responsibility ity for helping to provide jobs when industry cannot provide them What else is a government for but to servo the people |