RUSSIA’S DAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 November 1944, Page 5

RUSSIA’S DAY

MR. STALIN’S REVIEW

GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS RUGBY, November 6. Speaking in Moscow at the celebration of the 27th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Mr. Stalin emphasised that the victories won against Germany in the past year had been gained by the concerted operations of all the Allies together. He surveyed the progress of the war since Russia was forced to join in. Until the present year, he said, the Russian Army was still fighting alone.

“In the fourth year of the RussianGerman war big, decisive battles were won by the Soviet armies and the armies of our Allies. During this year the Germans have had to fight on two and were thrown back to the frontiers of Germany. The results of the last year are that the German troops have been driven from the Soviet Union, France, Belgium and Central Italy, and that the fighting has been brought to German territory. In the past year over 120 German and satellite divisions have been defeated or routed. Qf the 287 divisions which last year faced the Soviet troops, 207 were German. Now, after all the total and supertotal mobilisation, 204 divisions are fighting against the Soviet Union, and of these not more than 180 are German.” Mr. Stalin said that in this war the German Army was more powerful, treacherous, and experienced than in all previous wars, and had used the production of nearly all Europe and had mobilised considerable armies from her vassals. “If, despite all this, Germany is now on the verge of the abyss this must be explained by the fact that Germany’s main opponent has surpassed the strength of Fascist might. In the past year the Red Army did not fight single-handed, but together with the armies of its Allies “The conference at Teheran was not in vain, and the blows'from east, south, and west have been carried out with great accuracy. The simultaneous operations of our Allies carried out the massed invasion of France on a scale and in a way unknown in history. Germany, taken in a pincer movement from two sides, has been unable to withstand the .Allies. It is beyond doubt that, without the opening of the Second Front in Europe, which has pinned down 75 German divisions, the Soviet troops would not have been able in such a short time to break the enemy’s resistance and drive him from the Soviet Union. But it is also without doubt that without the victorious operations of the Red Army, which has engaged up to 200 divisions, the Allies would not have been able in such time to liberate Central Italy, France and Belgium. A condition of victory is that the Germans be held between those two fronts. ECONOMIC FRONT. “New victories have been achieved on our economic front. The production of planes,, guns and armaments is several times greater than before the war. “In the field of agriculture great work has been done also in the liberated areas, where rehabilitation is being swiftly accomplished. Railway transport has met the demands upon it with efficiency and has discharged tasks which could not have been achieved by railway transport in any other country. “Our army and its rearguard organisation have proved their unbreakable and increasing strength, and despite war conditions and the temporary enemy occupation ol the important economic regions, war production has gone up. At the present moment the Red Army possesses more tanks and guns than the German Army, and in quality their arms are much superior. “Difficulties over the war have not broken but, on the contrary have strengthened the iron will and courage of the Soviet people This year the peoples of the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States aie united in strengthening their unity and are in agreement in the fight against the Germans.. In the history of all wars and united operations against a common enemy there has seldom been unity executed with more complete“There is also little doubt that the successful operations of the United Nations on the war fronts have resulted in unity in other fields. A striking example is the conference at Dumbarton Oaks. There weie, ol course, some disagreements, and there will still be on a number of questions. There, exists disagreement between members, of the same party. There naturally must be disagreements between the representatives of the various countries or parties. Ihe astonishing thing is not that theie were disagreements, but that theie were so few, and that these few disagreements have nearly always been solved. There also existed serious disagreements on the question of the Second Front, but finally the United Nations reached complete agreement on this. Another such striking example of agreement is the recent conference at Moscow u ith Mi. Churihill and Mr Eden conference was carried out in a iiiendl. atmosphere and in almost complete unanimity. The Germans have mad desperate attempts to break up the United Nations and spons °A suspicion amongst them. . All these attempts have failed, which means that the basis of the Soviet Alliance with Britain and the United States has not had a temporary motive but vitally important and lasting reasons.”

THE NEW LEAGUE (Rec. 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 6. Mr Stalin said: “If . our alliance with Britain and America has stood up to the tribulations of three yeais of war, all the more will it stand by the concluding phase of this struggle. Hitler’s Allies have deserted him, and doubtless Hungary will leave him Germany will then, be isolated. iLeie is no doubt that the United Nations will win the war, whose last stage is reached, but we must not only win the war; we must make future war impossible, if not forever, then for a long time. Germany will emerge from the war politically and economically shattered, but we know she is already preparing for the next war After Germany’s defeat she will, of course, be disarmed militarily and economically. It will take about 20 years for Germany to recover from defeat. Aggressive Powers, Powers who prepare for war over a long period, are more powerful than peace-loving nations, therefore special measures must be instituted against aggression. The only ' way is to create a special organisation ol united nations to preserve peace and security, and give it armed forces and responsibility to apply them immediately to avert or suppress aggression. This is not like the League of Nations without resources and power, but will be a new armed organisation to avert wars. It will be effective if the Great Powers which bore the brunt of the war continue to work unanimously and in accord—and only so. If war should flare up again it should be choked at the very outset and never allowed to develop. It remains for us to defeat the Ger-/ man Fascist in his own lair and hoist the flag of the Soviet Union in Ber-

in. This will be done in the near uture.” Mr Stalin revealed that 30 diviions in the Baltic States cut off from last Prussia were “being hammered o smithereens.” MESSAGE FROM NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON, November 6. Following is a copy of a telegram ent by the Prime Minister (Mr. 'Taser) to Mr. Stalin on-the Soviet 'fational Day: “On your National Day '.ll New Zealanders recall the trenendous contribution which the Soiet people have made in this war 'gainst aggression and tyranny. As a mall countrv, we know freedom must ic world-wide, and that it may be won ■r lost thousands of miles from our >wn shores. It is for that reason we 'ave sent our men to fight in areas ar distant from our own shores, and ■bove all, it is for that reason that we ealise our great debt to the heroic led Army and the workers of the Sonet Union, whose continued efforts iave contributed so much to the victory of human freedom. That debt ests on human lives and can, we feel, >e discharged only by sincere co-op-in building a secure peace, and ->y complete trust in bur mutual good ntentions. And on this your National Jay we reaffirm our hearty goodwill towards the Soviet people, and send our congratulations and best wishes.”