The Waikato Times THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1942 UNITED STATES CHOOSES WAR POLICY

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21664, 26 February 1942, Page 4

The Waikato Times THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1942 UNITED STATES CHOOSES WAR POLICY

Choice between a defensive war and a struggle in which the enemy will be attacked wherever he may be found, and preferably as far as possible from home, has been forced upon the United States. Mr Roosevelt in his Washington Day address left no doubt which course had been chosen, and indeed a moment’s reflection would convince anyone that a policy of pure self-defence would seal the doom of the United States as far as its own efforts are concerned. If they could gain control of the rest of the world, which undoubtedly is their aim, the Axis Powers with unlimited resources could develop such strength that the United States could not stand against it. No, the United States must assist the other Allies in keeping the strongholds and the greater part of the world’s resources out of the grasp of Germany, Japan and Italy. Any other policy would be suicidal. Mr Roosevelt promptly disposed of the policy of the turtle or the ostrich, which he said some of the American people were inclined to advise. He preferred the attitude of the eagle—flying high and striking hard. He admits that warfare which requires the sending of ships, aeroplanes, guns and men to the far ends of the earth will demand an enormous volume of production. That is an obvious truth. The American people have been set to the task of providing that production, knowing that they will have to build far more equipment than the United States itself will need. Some of the results of their labour must go to hard-pressed allies, and some will be sent to the bottom of the sea before they can be used against the enemy. But there is no acceptable alternative. Only immense production and immense effort will keep the enemies’ activities wfthin manageable proportions. Confidence that the United States in co-operation with the Allied nations has the capacity required for this enormous undertaking is expressed by the President, and his contentions are supported by recent staggering figures of American production. Mr Roosevelt admits that a policy of early retirement was inevitable while the United States and Britain gathered sufficient strength to take the initiative. He did not, and probably could not, indicate the stage at which defensive tactics would be replaced by aggressiveness. He sees the Japanese moving down through the East Indian islands and even striking at the mainland of Australia. All the Allied peoples are wondering when his promise of equality with the enemy, and then superiority, will be fulfilled. It will be a happy day for Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Netherlands, when the power to stem the yellow tide can be exerted.

Many rumours will be stilled and much anxiety removed by the announcement of the American losses in the Pearl Harbour disaster, which signalled Japan’s entry into the war. The list of 2340 killed and 946 injured was serious enough from a humanitarian point of view, but it was nothing like a lethal blow even to the islands of Hawaii. And the statement that only three warships were a complete loss will be received with relief. It seems probable that a considerable number of ships suffered damage, but these, as Mr Churchill said, can be repaired and will be more efficient than before when the work is completed. The most serious aspect of the damage is that it will delay the time when the Japanese offensive can be brought to a standstill. Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean the United States still has a powerful fleet ready for action. These ships, in collaboration with the other Allied fleets, will join with the growing Allied air forces in halting and finally driving back the now encroaching enemy.