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Show OVER-OPTIMISM DANGEROUS Thu president, Secretary Hull, Vice-President Wallace and other top-flight officials have waraed us not to become too optimistic and to disregard the current crop of rumors to the effect that the Axis is on the verge of collapse. There is sound reason behind that warning-. Nothing suits the Hit-Jer-llirohito combine better than unjustified optimism on the part of their enemies. Nothing is so fatal to a nation in modern war as complacency. The newsmen who were recently released from Hitler's Europe brought some very interesting information with them. Axis morale, they say, dropped when Germany and Italy declared war on us. Iiut Hitler has most of the people sold on the idea that they must win or perish. They are doggedly determined to fight on to the very end. There are relatively few rebels and the gestapo is active and efficient. It is possible, of course, that the w?ar could end with startling suddenness. That happened in 1918. But it would be the height of folly to anticipate that. We can hope for a short war. But we must build and plan for a very long one. |