RUSSIANS CHECKED

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 November 1944, Page 5

RUSSIANS CHECKED

BUDAPEST DEFENCE HOLDS massattackprepared LONDON, November 7. Marshal Malinovsky is massing his main forces before Budapest for the final assault on the Hungarian capital. According to correspondents the Germans have temporarily averted the fall of the city by bringing up more armouu’ed reserve divisions. An order of the day revealed that in the Summer battles in White Russia the Red Army smashed the central group of German troops, consisting of three armies. The Russians captured 540,000 Germans. In the south the Red Army surrounded and wiped out a German group consisting of two armies, killing or capturing more than 250,000. A temporary lull has set in along the whole of the Russian front, says the Exchange Telegraph Agency s Moscow correspondent. Bad weather and desperate enemy resistance has slowed down the drive against Budanest. There are indications, however, that the lull will be brief. The ■Russians are completing preparations for a fourth Winter campaign. Moscow is confident the Winter will Tiring vic°The Russians are reported to have won two more bridgeheads over the Tisa River east of Budapest. Marshal Malinovsky’s forces, regrouping round the city, are being strongly reinforced. . . A Soviet communique again reports no material changes along the whole front to-day. GERMAN STATEMENTS. (Rec. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 7. The battle for Budapest for the moment is at a deadlock because of the weather, say Moscow correspondents, but the Red Army consolidated a general thrust across Hungary by establishing two more bridgeheads across the Tisa River at Tokaj and' Tiszafured—making seven bridgheads over the Tisa. Von Hammer admitted that the Germans north of Szolnok, under strong Russian pressure, had withdrawn to a new line, but claimed the Germans had pushed a way back into Vasad, 18 miles south-east of Budapest. The German News Agency commentator, von Olberg, said: “Malinovsky’s powerful frontal attack against Budapest for the moment is checked on the German barrier position 24 miles east of Budapest. The Russians are now trying to envelop Budapest by outflanking operations on either wing of our armies. The Cairo radio reported that the Germans are dismantling Budapest factories and sending the machines to Germany. . The German News Agency stated that a Bill had been drafted empowering the Hungarian Parliament to meet in places other than Budapest, if it should be necessary. JUGOSLAV GAINS. LONDON, November 6. It is announced from Marshal Broz’s headquarters that Jugoslav forces have liberated Monastir, near the south-western corner of Jugoslavia, and are' holding the Greek-Jugoslav frontier. They have killed more than 5000 Germans in the last few days. “In the Vardar valley of Macedonia, fighting near Demir Kapija is in progress, as well as for Veles and Skoplje,” says a Jugoslav communique. “German defences on the line of Bre-galnica-Strumnitza were pierced and fighting is in progress for Stip. In Montenegro, the enemy attempted to break through from Podgorica to Cetinje, but was repulsed. Street fighting continues in Nevesinje. In the Srijen Province, between the Danube and Sava, Jugoslavs with the Russians are marching towards Sid and Ilok, some 25 miles east of Vinkovci. Fighting is in progress for Ilok and Calma. In Dalmatia, on the SibenikDrnis sector, a strong enemy column was routed.” FINNISHSUCCESS. RUGBY, November 7. The first advance towards Northern Norway is announced by a Finnish communique. The Finns have taken Ivalo and are pursuing a German detachment retreating towards Enare in the western end of the lake of the same name, 100 miles southwest of Kirkenes. ATTITUDE TO JAPAN. (Rec. 12.25 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 7. Mr. Stalin’s reference to the aggressor nations in yesterday’s speech was as follows: “The aggressor Powers had their invasion armies ready before the war began, while the peace-loving nations didn’t even possess satisfactory forces to cover their mobilisation. Such unpleasant facts as the Pearl Harbour incident and the loss of the Philippines and other Pacific islands and the loss of Flong Kong and Singapore, cannot be treated as mere coincidence. Japan, as an aggressor nation, was better prepared for war than Britain or America, who were pursuing a policy of peace.” The British United Press Moscow correspondent says that diplomatic circles in Moscow attach considerable significance to the fact that Mr. Stalin, for the first time in this war, publicly classed Japan among the aggressor nations. How the Russian people and the Army always felt about Japan is -not secret. . The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Alexander) has sent cordial greetings and best wishes to the Russian Chief of the Naval Staff on the twenty-seventh anniversary of the formation of the Soviet Union. SWISS REPLY. (Rec. 9.55 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 7. A Swiss Government statement denies that Switzerland followed an anti-Russian policy. The statement says that the Swiss Ambassador, M. Reugger, initiated talks in London aimed at establishing closer SwissRussian relations. The Soviet Ambassador, M. Gusev, replied breaking off the negotiations, arguing that the Swiss Government had in no way. renounced the anti-Russian policy. The statement adds: “The reproach of anti-Russian policy cannot really be maintained by anyone truly informed of the attitude of the Swiss Government and Swiss people. The facts dre so transparent that eventually the Soviet Government will have no option but to accept them. The Swiss Government does not intend to change the attitude leading up to the negotiations now interrupted, which corresponds with Switzerland’s general aim to maintain peaceful relations with all States.” NORWEGIAN MISSION. RUGBY, November 7. The Norwegian Foreign Minister. M. Trygve Lie, left Stockholm for Moscow, to visit the Russian Government to discuss various questions of common interests. He was accompanied bv the Minister of Justice (M. Terje Wold) and the DirectorGeneral of Public Health (M. Pevang).