Japanese Will Learn Of Leaders’ Mistakes

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1944, Page 5

Japanese Will Learn Of Leaders’ Mistakes

(Rec. 1.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON. Nov. 30 Addressing a Press conference the War Secretary (Mr. H. L. Stimson) said: “Three raids against Tokio within six days demonstrates outstandingly cur ability to carry the war to Japan’s heart. The Japanese can expect a regularly-repeated and constantly-expanded pattern of destruction. •

"The Japanese rank-and-file will learn first-hand the mistakes that the war lords have led them into. The Japanese apparently are determined to stage an ail-out battle in the Philippines as is evidenced by persistent efforts to reinforce the Leyte garrison, costing the enemy 26 transports, 17 warships ana 21,000 troops drowned.” In a review of the European war, Mr. Stimson said that General Eisenhower’s offensive had been delayed until enough artillery and ammunition had accumulated. He explained that after the rush across France we experienced a series of artillery difficulties. The first limitation was caused by disrupted railways, for the delivery of ammunition available a,t the ports. When the railroads situation improved, a second bottleneck was the incapacity of ports to deliver ammunition available in Britain.

Later, when the armies approached the Rhine it became necessary for General Eisenhower to delay the general offensive until an adequate reserve of ammunition had accumulated. Now, as rail and port facilities improved, we were reaching another limitation—shortage of ammunition in the United States. This would be critical unless production was greatly increased.

"Our present consumption is on a tremendous scale,” he said. “We are firing probably 10 times the amount fired by the Germans, one reason being that we are compelled to use artillery to destroy concrete structures. Moreover, overwhelming artillery power reduces casualties. The opening of the pert of Antwerp will tremendously increase deliveries to the front.’-’