The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1941 Soviet Invulnerability

Timaru Herald, Volume CL, Issue 22063, 9 September 1941, Page 4

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1941 Soviet Invulnerability

A WAR which the Herman High Command had hoped to lust a few weeks has now lasted almost three months and there is still no sign of the issue going decisively in Germany’s favour. The German Army has advanced, but so far no key positions have fallen to the invaders. The Russians are putting up an epic fight for Leningrad and the defences still hold. It is possible that the Germans will continue to make some military- progress, but by this time Hitler will be understanding that the subjection of Russia, and nothing less than subjection can satisfy him now, is a task beyond the capacity of the great Nazi military machine. Where the defeat of the Russians is so difficult is that the vast country consists of convenient selfsupporting areas in front of which defence lines can be established, and behind which the life of the people can be continued in tolerable conditions, or in conditions that would enable resistance to be carried on.

It seems that the Soviet has always kept in mind the possibility that at some time in the future the country would be engaged in a life and death struggle with Its western neighbours, for a main consideration of Soviet industrial policy has been the development of centres of heavy industries in the Urals, that is, in the provinces of Molotov, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Chkalov (Orenburg), and the Bashkir, based on the local supply of raw materials, which amounts to about 25 per cent, of

the mineral resources of the Union. In 1914 this

area, with the exception of some mining development, was agricultural in character. To-day the Urals hold the fourth place, after Moscow, Ukraine, and Leningrad, in the production of electrical power; the third place, after the Ukraine and Siberia, in coal production; the fourth place, after Baku, Grozny, and Maikop, for oil production. The district is second only to Ukraine in the production of iron and steel, first in copper production, and in the engineering industries it holds the fourth place after Moscow, Leningrad, and the Ukraine. The location of the principal mineral deposits is: Magnitogorsk and Orsk-Halilovo for iron, the Kizel district for coal, Degtyarka for copper and gold, Orsk for nickel and chrome, the Bashkir for oil, Solikamsk for potash. The most serious handicap lu development has been the lack of good coking coal, imports of which from Kuznetz and Karaganda, amounting to 4,000,000 toils, necessitate long hauls. Htiherto large Supplies of oil have been brought from the Caucasus. The development of the area has been assisted by the Magnitogorsk-Chelyabinsk-Sverdlovsk railway linking north and south two existing main lines. One of the heartening Characteristics of the war is that the Germans have always erred ifa their vital major decisions. They have had their successes,, but at the important part of the road they have invariably taken the wrong turning. In deciding to make War upon Russia Hitler anticipated a lightning knock-out blow against the enemy. What he overlooked was that such an enemy as the Soviet could hot be Wiped out. Once he embarked upon this war he could not protect himself eveh by a series of brilliant Victories. An enemy who can withdraw and keen on withdrawing to reasonable safety must remain undefeated.