BRITISH COMMENTS

Grey River Argus, 22 July 1941, Page 5

BRITISH COMMENTS

On Russian Campaign r GERMANS FAILING IN THEIR OBJECTIVE. LONDON, July 20. The statement in yesterday morn'ing’s Russian communique that heavy fighting continues in the various sectors including that of Smolensk, and that “both sides suffered heavy losses” is regarded in London as tni: only material information available of the titanic struggle which his now continued for our weeks. The German High Command’s claim to have captured Smo ensk itself is at present treated with reserve m vrw p) the fact that mechanised detaem ments frequently reach po nts wen in advance of the supporting miantrv and the Russian de fens ve i-.ctivs have already been known to hold up the main supporting German forces when the mechanised spearhead has. actually been able to penetrate long distances ahead. The Russian-German war has entered the fifth week with the three prizes for which the bl tzkrieg was launched— Leningrad, Moscow, and the Ukraine—still in Russian hands. The Germans have, however, achieved considerable gains, but most-reM-■stic observers reviewing the course of the war, conclude that the Germans have failed to achieve their land objective for the first t'me during the present European war. As Hitler has failed after four _ weeks to gain any of his three objectives, it is considered in London that tnere are reasonable grounds for optimism regarding the outcome of the struggle. ' The latest communiques show thal the Germans, failing to achieve an easy break-through to Len ngrad and the Ukraine, have reverted on the centrali front to the policy of throwing in masses of troops, tanks and planes, to blast a path to Moscow. The immediate battleground is a vasts triangle, with a 200 miles line between Polotsk and Bobruisk as the base, and thp apex east of Smolensk. “The Times” says the end ol the fourth week of the German onslaught on Russia finds the Russian aimic.a everywhere resisting in good order and, in spite of their ordeal, with unabated courage and confidence. They have given ground before Ihp superior might of a long-prepared attack. The threat to Kiev, the threat to Leningrad, and the thrust towards Moscow, which seems 1o have reached Smolensk, are all no doubt formidable But there is no sign at ad of a break on which Herr Hitler must have counted either in the military or po’itical front. Thn spirit of the Russians is indomitable in the line, behind the line, and. indeed, in front of the line where resistance ; s constantly springing up to embarrass tne invader in territory already occupied by him. ' The Russian Air Force, in addition to support given to the Russian armies, has found time to bomb Lie Roumanian oilfields repeatedly, thus nobly supplementing the destructin’ which the Royal Air Force miliclr every night on industrial plants w Germany itself. Herr Hit er is beinp made to pay dearly for every square mile of Russian territory, invaded b> him in the last four weeks. Russia never like Nazi Germany, dellber atelv 'set out to create an offensive war machine and war industr.es Bu. her amazing wo Ith of natural rw sources, as well as the toughness oi her people, give her staying power which Germany may prove to lack, and her industrial capacity is capable of eventual development wnicn may one day surpass that of Ger

many. , . . Fear of an unknown factor in i e present and of a. potential rival in the future was probably one of the haltconscious motives which impeded Herr Hitler into this adventure. An essential factor in Russia’s power or resistance is the modern eastward dispersal of Russian heavy industry. The Ukraine still occupies a preponderant place in the Soviet’s output of coal, iron, and aluminium. The o.destablished metal and eng neennu industries of Leningrad, of Karkhov. and of the region round Moscow are still of first-class importance. But now the concentration of industry and production during the last lo years in the Urals and western Siberia has given to Russia's defences a new elasticity and a new capacity for adaptation to every emergency. There can no longer be any quo :- tian of putting Russia out of action bv a few fortunate* or well-planned strokes at vital points. If Herr h.ter counted —as he may well have doneon the strategy of a knock-out blow, this method has failed him. The xtussian armies can withdraw, as Iney withdrew before Napoleon, leaving destruction and devastation behind them And if modern methods ol war make the task of the invader in «ome respects easier than it was 100 years or even 20 years ago, Russian resilience has been increased tenfold. The Russian armies have wellstocked bases and well-organ sed factories and munition plants far be hind any line which the most audacious invader can hope to penetrate. So long as the Russian defence holds together—and there are no symptoms of disintegration—no German acquisition of territory can destroy its power to resist and fight again another day. . Although the Berlin pr.apngar.d_ machine is churning out a stream of extravagant claims and promises. Axis diplomats at Istanbul are more cautious. They estimate that at lens’ 4 000 000 of the best equipped and mechanised Russian troons have not vet been engaged, and are be n-, be strategically behind the lines, in Reparation for counter-offensives. >he diplomats also admit that the Russian Air Force is fighting hard ‘Mr John Gordon, writing in the “Sunday Express,” says: ‘'Such ualties as the Germans are suffering in Russia cannot be concealed, if H is true that there is one German dead for every two wounded, men Germany has never previously endured such a blood-bath. There is a point at which the cleverest propaganda fails, and the German ViepnJr mav soon reach that point. Hit cr needs a dramatic success. , Al! hi conquests will go for nought, unless he can place them on a solid foundation For a nation that, according to Hitler, had its air force obliterated in the first week of the war. its armies disintegrated In the second, and its reserves consumed in t be fourth, the Russians seem to bo coins rather well.”

It is estimated in Berlin that the Soviet Armv still has 5,000,000 men in spite of its enormous losses Neutrals believe that Germany has 3 000.000 men engaged and her al lies 800,000. NO VITAL CHANGE. AT THE WEEK-END. (Rec. 8.10). LONDON, July 21. No vital change on the RussianGerman front has been reported at the week-end. ENEMY MUNITION TRAIN EXPLODED. MOSCOW REPORT. (Rec. 9.0.) MOSCOW, July 21. It is reported that a German munitions train blew up at Presov. destroying twentv-fwo trucks and killing fortv-one soldiers and three German officers.