The Grey River Argus MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1945. NEARING THE END

Grey River Argus, 19 March 1945, Page 4

The Grey River Argus MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1945. NEARING THE END

The suggestion that terms for a cessation of war have been sought by the Germans —who, in such a gesture, would naturally recognise the necessity to submit largey to Allied terms —is openly scouted in Berlin official publicity. Though the rumour has no sanction either in Allied quarters, and comes from a neutral source, it may still be authentic. For one thing the enemy knows as well as anybody he has no longer any strategic chance of stalling off defeat. Why then should he dally in coming to heel? His motto, no surrender, 'while it has two aspects, is no barrier to a peace feeler. For the home front it is simply meant to keep everybody in the struggle until, perchance, something less abject than complete capitulation might be obtainable —say, some quarter for the Nazi leaders. As to the Allies, the enemy affirmation that there will be no repetition of 1918 is no less evidently meant to induce a disposition towards relaxation of their demand for unconditional capitulation. Yet a feeler would suggest to the Allies that the Nazis felt their game was up. It would thus strengthen the Allies’ determination not to parley, even though officially they might let out no inkling of overtures made in a non-committal fashion. They even might think it injudicious to risk any relaxation among their own ranks by admitting the slaughter could at once be stopped on terms less absolute than those which they had themselves proclaimed. There might, on the other hand, be a conjecture meantime as to what precisely the Allies will regard as the proper token of submission, and whether they now regard the Nazi Party leaders as qualified to give such token. The fact of the case, is obviously that the Allied leaders are now far less concerned as to when than as to how hostilities shall finish. Mr Churchill says it may be during the next three months, but only-in the utter surrender of the enemy, or in his being beaten to the ground in utter chaos. Some time ago, the idea was that it would be by way of the northern part of the Siegfried Line that the end would be heralded; and then it was suggested that the Russians would take Berlin and finish the job. However, the or-

dinary observer has an opportunity now to form an idea if all, rather than only some, factors are considered. Allied forces are entering Germany from three directions —-the Oder, the South-east in the direction of the Danube; and the Rhine. To each of these fronts they have sucked Germany’s defenders in such a degree that no more remain to be manoeuvred or.shunted from one to another point of greatest menace. The enemy can no longer sustain his losses in men. His supplies at the front are steadily lessening. His oil, aircraft, munitions and possibly food reserves are being eaten np.' The strain is too great. Unless it is now eased by a cessation of hostilities, first one and then another hole will widen in the -‘fortress,” and lead to inevitable chaos. The Allied air cover is so phenomenal that the Germans are actually being beaten more behind than upon the front. For instance, the most vital area, the Ruhr is being isolated by bombing, and, the High Command is in a, fatal predicament. There is talk of desperate defence of Berlin in a fashion the enemy once expected only to have to oppose, and never to have to use. Returning to the point that the northern part of Siegfried defences had been indicated as the ultimate loophole, and therefore has been specially defended against the British and Canadians, the actual upshot, has been as surprising as it has been significant. Three months ago von Runclstedt found the American First Army sector a loophole; whereas the .First i Army has- been destined now to find a more sensational loophole in the front of the Rhine. Had not the enemy been under too great a strain, and taken therefore too big a risk at Remagen, it is hard to imagine that the First Army would have been presented with that unexpected opportunity to hop the Rhine with the loss of scarcely a man. The thing is a ( mystery upon any other assumption than that a definite crack in the Wehrmacht has already opened up. American alacrity exploited the opportunity, and, though many more crossings are essential, and one beyond Nijmegan may occur any day, the last phase of the assault on the Reich has been entered. The finale may first lake the form of increasing surrenders, but present pressure on all fronts must bring a collapse in general organised resistance, so

that if then there is disintegration into guerrilla resistance, that will be of much less importance.