The Times TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1942. Victory Must Be Won

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 307, 29 December 1942, Page 4

The Times TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1942. Victory Must Be Won

A fear departs, slackening-up becomes a menace. Our fears of the enemy gaining any real decision in his favour are now dissipated—watch out then for an insidious decline of interest and spirit in the effort to victory. In heart as in voice, all pray for a total victory over our enemies and that a true peace may thereafter be established. We feel now very sure of ourselves—that such a victory must inevitably be ours—and from many highly authoritative sources, have come of late, cheering messages. Victory is feasible in 1943, we are told. Just imagine what this

conveys—victory in a year fi*om now. That is wonderful news, but forget not that such a victory must be won. It will not simply fall into our collective lAp just because we so desire. Hard and bitter will be the fight before our enemies capitulate, for they are tough, shrewd and skilled in warfare. Certainly the Allied forces are now “on top of the game,” but it is a long, long way from Stalingrad to Berlin or Buna to Tokio. Millions of hardfighting men bar both routes. The Japanese are inspired by a religiously based fanaticism and the Germans are fired with an intense national pride; backed by a particular fear of Russian “barbarism” long developed in their minds. It is one thing to see victory before you and another to grasp the eagle standard.

• Enemy leaders, and probably most of the thoughtful amongst the enemy peoples, realise by now that defeat of the Allies is no longer possible and realise too, that we seek their defeat and will battle determinedly to this end. Ever do fresh hopes arise, however, and even now amongst our enemies. Their hopes to-day are to fight so hard a defensive war, as to cause the Allied peoples to tire, and then that “a peace with honour,” will be patched up—a peace that would probably permit Germany and Japan to retain much of their vast, ill-gotten gains. That is the only kind of peace that we can easily win, but it would be an armistice; a breathing spell before the next attempt to world dominion by a fresh set of enemy leaders.

Such an outcome to all our struggles is unthinkable. Are we not determined upon, total victory? Are we not prepared to make a total war effort to that end? Such, unquestionably, was a recent state of mind when fear still pervaded our thoughts. Beware now lest the departure of that fear should *beget a slackening. Deny not the ever-present possibility of so human a reaction. Only a great and supreme determination of mind will hold us to the task at full bent, now that the immediate danger has been removed. Are we to tire, grow listless, over-confident and so play the enemy’s game?

The road to victory provides now three fronts. One comprises all the varied military campaigns. Another is the Allied people’s morale; their determination to see the business through to the very end. The third concerns the enemy. A peace offensive upon our part, could exert a tremendous influence upon the war’s ending by reducing the enemy people’s determination to keep on fighting. So now do definite plans of the peace at which we aim become of high importance. Removal of the enemy’s sense of desperation will save a million Allied lives. That should be possible of achievement without sacrifice of principles needful to an ideal peace to follow. But at whatever price in effort and time, victory must be won and decisively so. Let our determination upon that suffer no easing whatsoever. “Victory in ’43”; is a grand slogan provided we shall all work like Trojans for it.