Indian Ocean

Have just finished reading Claire Booth’s “Europe in the Spring” — a brilliant and thought-provoking book on France and England — and us. I’d like to meet Miss Booth — she certainly got more on the ball the 99 and 80/100% of the people. And she’s right when she says that the win this war, we’ve got to have an ideal — not just beat Hitler or the Japs — but, by God, take the bull by the horns and run the damned world the way each of us, deep down in his heart, knows it should be run — with justice and freedom for all mankind, and a quick retribution for troublemakers and rabble-rousers. By God, I believe in a Pax Americana — by force if necessary. I was amazed in Surabaya, defined that all these Dutchmen were fighting and hating Hitler — and that was all. When I asked them what they intended to do in Europe when, and if, we won, they looked blank. No, it must never go back to what it was — and yet that is what most of these Europeans are fighting for — the fools!

And another thing — the only way we can beat Japan is in Japan. The retaking of what she is conquered is virtually impossible because of the natives — they look too much like Japs, and too many are Jap spies. Australia, I believe, will stop the Japs, with U.S. aid — and if we don’t give them that aid, I’ll renounce the U.S.!