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UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1942
The KANSAN Comments...
The Importance of Suez
Spring officially arrives next Saturday. Within a short time Hitler's long expected spring offensive must start. That spring offensive is on the "must" list for Hitler, to rebuild the faith of the German people after the most disastrous period in nine years of Hitler rule.
Since the last throw of the dice in North Africa finds General Rommel with the most chips, the next major German drive may well be there. To quote Raymond Clapper, "If the Germans break through in Egypt, open up the Suez and join hands with Japan, which is pushing west from the other side, then you can settle down to the longest, hardest, most uncertain war you ever dreamed of."
It is up to America and Britain to see that this does not happen. No other battle of the war will be more decisive than will the battle for Suez. To lose it means the loss of Russia and China as effective allies. To lose it means years added to the war. To win it may mean quick victory.
Germany is vitally in need of oil and raw materials. If she were not, Hitler would never have attacked Russia. His drive for the Ural oil fields failed. Japan has a long wait before she can effectively utilize the vital war materials of the recently conquered Dutch East Indies. But this will remain true only as long as Germany and Japan are separated.
If the Allies hold Suez, Germany and Japan will remain the "have-not" nations. If Germany gets Suez and joins Japan, they will be able to hold out almost indefinitely. Only by keeping the Axis in the "have-not" class can the United Nations hope for reasonably quick victory. To do this they must hold Suez.
The Significance of MacArthur
General MacArthur's assumption of command in Australia may result in some more vigorous action on that front. At present it is his job to hold Australia until reinforcements arrive. There is little doubt that American troops and American materials are in Australia, but it is questionable whether they are sufficient in number to back up any effective offensive action. It is essential that offensive action be started in the Pacific sooner or later. Victory cannot be complete without the recapturing of the Dutch Indies, Borneo, the Celebes, and the Philippines.
Americans probably have been a little too happy over the transfer, though. There is nothing at present to indicate that MacArthur's command extends to India and Burma, which at present are of more importance to the allies than are the islands in the Pacific. Through India and Burma runs the supply line to China. Without allied control of these vital sections, China would be powerless, her armies without the necessities of battle. As an ally, China is valuable, because of her knowledge of the fighting methods of the Japanese, and because of her immense man-power and nearness to the battle.
MacArthur has proved his valor, his military brilliance, and general ability in his defense of Bataan peninsula against vastly superior forces of Japanese. The wise move would be to place him in complete command of the eastern theater of war. This step will probably be taken in time, but the sooner it can be accomplished the better it will be for the allies. The war to date has been a sad story
of unpreparedness, incompetent commanders, and consequent defeats. With the appointment of MacArthur may come the turning point.
A Bottleneck Broken?
A major problem of the day is the transportation of oil from our mid-continent fields, where it is produced in greatest quantity to the east coast, now threatened by an oil shortage.
As a solution to this transportaion bottleneck, Governor Payne Ratner has proposed the conversion of pipelines east of Chicago to transportation of refined petroleum instead of the present crude oil; he suggested that idea in a message to Harold L. Ickes, federal oil co-ordinator.
By such a change, it would be possible to double, practically overnight, the gasoline and oil deliveries from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, because one barrel of the refined finished product is made from two barrels of crude oil.
This solution seems not only plausible, but about the only practical way to move gasoline and fuel oil into the areas where shortages are imminent.—T.M.
OFFICIAL BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
Vol. 39 Thursday, March 19, 1942 No.106
Notices due at News Bureau, 8 Journalism, at 10 a.m. on day of publication during the week, and at 11 a.m. on Saturday for Sunday issue.
CATHOLIC STUDENTS: There will be Newman Club Corporate Communion and Breakfast at the 9:30 Mass, Sunday. Because of the long services on Palm Sunday this meeting has been moved up one week. Lloyd Svoboda, Vice-President of Newman Club.
RHADAMANTHI: Because of the conflict with the Quill Club meeting, the Rhadamanthi meeting scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed until Thursday, March 19, at 8 p.m.-Betty Lee Kalis.
All girls interested in attending the training course for G.R. sponsors should sign in 103 Fraser or Henley House, Friday, March 20—Letha J. Curtis.
RED CROSS SEWING ROOM—The Red Cross Sewing Room of 116 Fraser is open from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdya, Thursday, and Friday afternoons. Knitters are asked to report to the room in Fraser on Friday afternoon.—Mrs. P. B. Lawson.
SCHOLARSHIPS: Applications for scholarships for fall, 1942, should be made in Room 1, Frank Strong Hall, before April 1.-Lela Ross, Executive Secretary.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Student Paper of THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS Lawrence, Kansas
NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION 1942 Active Member
Publisher ... Kenneth Jackson
Editor-in-chief ... Charles Pearson
Editorial associates ... Maurice Barker and
Floyd Decaire
EDITORIAL STAFF
Feature editor ...
NEWS STAFF
Managing editor ... Heidi Viets
Campus editors ... Betty Abels and Floyd Decaire
Sports editor ... Chuck Elliott
Society editor ... Saralena Sherman
News editor ... Ralph Coldren
Sunday editor ... John Conard
United Press editor ... Bob Coleman
BUSINESS STAFF
Business manager ... Frank Baumgartner
Advertising Manager ... Wallace Kunkel
Advertising assistants ... John Harvey, Charles
... Roos, LeMoyne, Frederick
The Rock Chalk Talk brings you, by special clipping services, excerpts from the most pertinent personal columns of American Newspapers. Take these, for instance, from the Kansas City Star:
"GOD has revealed exact year this world will end; proof sent FREE. Write HARVEST, P.O. Box 33. Jefferson City, Mo." And try to figure out this little gem:
And try to figure out this little gem. "MODERN Eve miscast in comedy of errors; intelligent, alert, analytical mature; capable discriminating between elemental factors and non essentials; willing to give complete cooperation for expert guidance. Address W 456 Star."
The Chi O. freshman who owns Persephone, took her out on the town for a brief spin after dinner. That is, their intentions were along that line. They pushed it half way down the Hill, received a push from a carload of Delts, and still the thing wouldn't start. Another push from another carload of Delts took them down to a filling station on Ninth street. The filling station man pushed them halfway up the Hill, and then along came another shift of Delts to maneuver them home. Probably, this is the only after dinner jaunt ever taken, in which an automobile never once went under its own power.
Lasher wins War on Weather!
For years, telephone cable has been hung by stiff wire rings from its supporting strand. But repeated expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes sometimes proved too much for even the best cable sheath. Fatigue cracks developed near the poles—this meant leaks—possible service interruptions—expensive repairs.
Recently, men of the Bell System developed a machine that lashes the cable and strand together in such a way that the concentration of strains near the poles is minimized. The Cable Lasher has also proved a great aid in the speedy installation of some of the new cables needed for airfields, camps, bases and war factories.
There are many opportunities in the Bell System for men with the urge—and the ability—to do a job better than it has ever been done before.
MASSACHUSETTS UNIVERSITY OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
2019