THE SECOND FRONT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 43, 19 August 1942, Page 5

THE SECOND FRONT

U.S. PRESS SPECULATION

NEW YORK, August 17. The United Press of America says that the news of the Moscow war conferences has aroused speculation in the U.S.A. as to whether Britain and the United States are nearing the point of giving Russia substantially, increased aid. Informed circles believe that the results of the Churchill-Stalin negotiations will implement the understanding reached last spring between President Roosevelt and Mr. Molotov.

. The "New York Times." in a leader, says: "Mr. Churchill visited Moscow in ont. of the great crises of the war, as he twice visited Washington, for direct consultation with the leaders of the Allied Governments. President Roosevelt was kept fully informed- of the questions discussed in Moscow, and undoubtedly participated in the decisions reached. TJie decisions covered not only the defence of the Caucasus and the Middle East, but the moot question of the second front. Time alone will reveal the decisions made, but whatever they are they can hardly be more important than this fresh evidence of a close and friendly understanding between the Soviet and the two great western democracies."

The "New York Herald Tribune," in a leader, says: "It is difficult to imagine better news than the fact that Mr. Churchill and Mr. Stalin reached definite decisions covering the war against Hitlerite Germany. This should end doubts that began festering when the announcement last June of an agreement regarding the second front failed to lead"to. action. It should end nonsensical suspicions that the delay was due to mistrust between the Governments. It should end the second front as a subject for popular clamour, parades, and pressure tactics. "Now we are entitled to believe that the overall strategy,' whether it includes a landing in Western Europe sooner or later, has been agreed upon by the men of all three nations s who know most about the problem,"