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Show to the safety of the United States itself which, regardless of the optimism op-timism of our ignorant patriots, has been a matter of doubt since the great war began. Territory Minor Importance . . . The drift of war in the past week has emphasized again the paramount purpose of battle: to destroy the enemy's armed forces, rather than the capture of specific territory. In Africa, Gen. Rommel demonstrated this maxim when he struck down the fighting ability of the English eighth army and then raced headlong to the doors of Alexandria. In Russia, the Nazis and their allied armies struck viciously at Russian soldiers, seeking territorial territor-ial gains, it is true, but more intensely in-tensely interested in destroying the organized coherency of the Red army in order to sweep forward into vital areas without paying an excessive price. The outcome of the war will be l mini I i i I i i i i i i iiii..i,.l.,i,,i.T FORWARD MARCH By n. S. Sims, Jr. Illlll'InlllllH I. I I I N I III 1 I I III ii AXIS POWERS CONTINUE TO WIN AS FORCES OF UNITED NATIONS GATHER FOR PUSH There is every reason why Americans Am-ericans should seek to understand the difference between the United Nations and the Axis powers because be-cause it will do much to explain the difficulties that have beset our allies in various theatres of war and relieve us of the necessity of finding fault with the courage or intelligence of our associates in the war. I determined, not so much by posi- tions occupied by the contending armies, but by the strengh that can be brought into the decisive battles. The United Nations will gain the victory only when their forces are superior to those of the enemy and the organized fighting power of our foes has been crushed. without serious losses, both of men and materiel and of territory and, consequently, there is no reason to become panic-stricken when the enemy strikes successfully. The war situation in the summer of 1942 is so much better, so far as the ultimate defeat of Germany is concerned, that there is reason for confidence even if no basis for expecting an easy victory. The entrance en-trance of Japan- into the fray has presented problems in the Far East, which have not yet been entirely en-tirely surmounted. With our growing grow-ing army and increasing navy there is reason for assurance as What Donald M. Nelson calls the "8-year time-lag" of the democracies demo-cracies has created a perilous situation situ-ation for the free nations of the world. The Axis powers, under Mussolini, Hitler and Hirohito, have prepared for war for many years, practiced war and preached war. Naturally, when war begins, under their attacks they are ahead of their adversaries in readiness readi-ness for battle. Axis Advantages Apparent . . . A study of the map of the world will reveal the ideal central position posi-tion of Germany and Italy, in regards re-gards to Europe and Africa, and of Japan, in relation to the Far Eastern area. Not only were our adversaries prepared for the war they began but they were in strategic stra-tegic positions to exploit the weakness of the United Nations. The collapse of France, which was a blow entirely unforeseen, upset the precarious balance, releasing re-leasing enormous German forces for the attack upon Russia and paving the way for Japanese aggression ag-gression against us. The extension of war to the Far East brought active fighting strength to the Axis but it added to the dangers of the United Nations whose potential po-tential power was entirely unavailable unavail-able for immediate strife. Anglo-American Difficulties ... ' Despite the reverses in North Africa and the fierce German attacks at-tacks upon the Red army, the long-range picture of the war is not unfavorable to the United Nations. Na-tions. This conclusion does not overlook the enormous natural resources re-sources that have been captured by Japan or the plundered loot of Europe which does much to keep the Nazi war machine operating. When the war began the British had practically no army. The small force, almost destroyed at Dun-kerque, Dun-kerque, was on a par with our own regular military establishment. establish-ment. It was an adequate police , force for times of peace but utterly utter-ly insuffiicent to guard a worldwide world-wide empire, under attack everywhere. every-where. There is no occult reasoning reason-ing behind the difficulties that have confronted the British as they have fought a delaying war, at times at heavy sacrifices. The United States, suddenly attacked at-tacked at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, Ja-panese, who were' immediately joined by the Germans and Italians, Ital-ians, was woefully unprepared for a major conflict with one great power, much less to become involved involv-ed in a titantic struggle, involving fronts all over the globe. True enough, we were in the process of I strengthening our armed forces, but, unfortunately, many of our people were convinced that "nobody" "no-body" would dare attack us because be-cause of our potential might. Our Basic Situation Improves . . . This review indicates the reasons underlying the fundamental optimism optim-ism of the leaders of the United Nations. It is not based upon false hopes but upon substance that is reflected in the slow checking of Axis advances. It is not expected that the next three months will be |