| Show National Whirligig WASHINGTON Henry L. L Stimsons Stimson's extraordinarily honest honest honest hon hon- est analysis of our difficulties on the Anzio b beachhead ad highlighted highlight highlight- ed the fact that our troops had gained combat experience And the only way to learn to fight isby is isby isby by fighting But his commanders command command- ers on the spot sent word that Hitler is a tough taskmaster and a strange school teacher Here is why When our forces went ashore at Salerno they were prepared materially and psychologically for a fierce and sudden resist resist- ance They got It for the Germans Germans Germans Ger Ger- mans counterattacked violently within three days But when they landed at Anzio it was another another another an an- other story The nazis did not move against us in strength for nine days Naturally our leaders thought they had plenty of time and an easy end run to Rome As a result they wasted dear days digging in and bringing supplies for the grand march to the Eternal Eternal Eternal Eter Eter- nal City The contrast has impressed London and Washington it has taught the need for minute and complete preparations ons for the invasion of Europe by land sea and air It has warned us that despite steady and serious setbacks setbacks setbacks set set- backs the foe is still cunning a up heads-up fighter and plentifully plentifully plentifully fully supplied with what it takes to win battles If not wars Note Haphazard conclusions made by certain armchair commentators commentators commentators com com- that the attack on Italy was a strategic blunder are not true according to Chief of Staff George Georg C C. C Marshall The Mediterranean could not have been cleared for allied shipping by the mere possession of Sicily Sardinia and minor points to the south We had to have the Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian boot Turkeys Turkey's refusal to come In made it impossible to execute Prime Prim Minister Churchill's 1915 Gallipoli stroke stroke stroke-an an attack from the flank and a sortie through the Danube valley A thrust at southern souther France heavily fortified fortified fortified for for- ever since we invaded north Africa would have necessitated necessitated necessitated large scale operations comparable to the forthcoming descent on Europa Our seizure of ten more MarshaUs' MarshaUs Marshalls Marshalls Mar- Mar atolls and the daring attack attack attack at at- tack on the Palau Islands five hundred miles from Mindanao presages task force blows at Guam the Philippines and eventually Tokyo In the opinion of American diplomats who have served in Japan developments developments developments de de- de- de even more favorable are overlooked In the mass of good news from the Pacific They point out that the resignation resignation resignation res res- res- res ignation of Navy Minister and Chief of Staff Osami means that Hirohito's top rank ing sea strategists realize that Nippon cannot win the war The continued su successes of Uncle Sam made Fleet Admiral Na- Na gano lose hope and relinquish his post to Admiral S Shigetaro ig rp Shimada The new shuffle In Aviation army and air raid commands commands commands com com- mands is also an indication that Tokyo knows that the jig is up Admiral was not subordinate subordinate subordinate sub sub- ordinate to General Hideki Tojo In many respects he was more powerful than the prime minister because at war with the United States the question of Japans Japan's survival depends on her fighting ships Unless our fleet can be driven from Asiatic waters there can be no exploitation of stolen territories territories territories ter ter- and no safety for the homeland To stop us or prolong prolong pro pro- long the conflict for a stalemate peace is primarily a naval task and only secondarily an army matter By the Japanese constitution the navy Is an Independent organization organization organization or or- not directly responsible responsible responsible sible to General Tojo the cabinet cabinet cabinet cabi cabi- net or the diet It is accountable only to Emperor Hirohito who does not dare dare- override its decisions deci- deci lest he precipitate revo revo- lution By Ray Tucker and Albert Leman The navy has never been willing willing willing will will- ing to surrender its autonomy to an minded army-minded prime min min- ister As all of Jap Japans Japan's ns n's campaigns campaigns campaigns cam cam- have been overseas ventures ventures ventures ven ven- tures the brass hats have had to appeal to the quarterdecks for support and the admirals have held the veto power Admiral is an old sea seadog seadog seadog dog whose opinions none could sway He was once assistant and later full naval in Washington Unlike the provincial generals who are ignorant of the power of Uncle Sam and John Bull he knows our capacity as an eyewitness to it He dealt directly with o occidental occidental ci- ci dental powers as the representative representative representative of his government at the League of Nations disarmament conference in Geneva in 1933 His junior officers had great re respect respect respect re- re for his judgment Now this pilot has stepped down from the bridge and Tojo has assembled a potpourri of second stringers to act In his place strategy has been junked and Jap Japan n will try a new way to stave off Admiral NimitZ and General MacArthur in their steady but necessarily slow progress |
