The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-12-22
Allies Watching For Next Hitler War Move
Ccontinued from Page D


 'Ttaly is engaged with practically It's total land, seaeard air forces and on their fate depends the fate Of Italy" he was quoted. A Zurich 'dis- patch said the statement caused @ sensation in Rome.
 A Turkish report from Hungarian sources that practically all Hungar. inn troops on the eastern front had returned home, withdrawn because they had inadequate winter equip" ment and were suffering serious ill" nesess.
 Reports that Swedish volunteers In Finland's army were almost ell naek home.
 May Abandon Finland
 Reports that the Germans were leaving Finland to Its fate.
 A United Press Malta dispatch which said 1t was believed there that axis troops were Altering Into French North Africa, that German war planes were being based there and that axis troops were being sent to Tunisia and then relayed along the coast in small craft to Llbya because the British navy had almost closed the ,1taly-Tripoli route,
 A high diplomatic personality ct Ankara was quoted by the United Press Cairo correspondent aS eil" phasizing the possibility if not the probability of German winter thrust through Spain and Spanish Morocco and French North Africa.
 The French high commissioners to Tunisia and Morocco arrived ct Vichy yesterday for conferences, Q United Press Vichy dispatch dis- closed.
 British commentators saw the Russian military situation aS direct" ly responsible for BrauchitSch'S dis. iIlisSai, and suggested that as Q cold d.mlnded military man he might have demanded that the German armies be withdrawn for many miles more, west of the smolensk line or even west of the Russian Polish frontier, and Hitler might have felt himself unable ito face the loss Of prestige such withdrawal would entail
 It was suggested also that Hit- lerian dissatisfaction with the Ger man army position in Libya was Q contributory cause.
 No one sw whether there was anything significant in the fact that the German radio closed It's pro. gram last night not with It's usual "fieii, Hitleri" but with bidding c cordial good night to oil listeners who now want to enjoy a well de- served nights rest" It was noted here that the German radio did not broadcast Hitler'S decree assuming the army command and his order Of the day to troops over home stas tons last night, 50 that Germans heard of Hltlers sensational deci. sion only this nornin gin news- papers.
 War in Gambling Stage"
 London, Dec. 22.-(UP)-Observ- CTS with long pre.war experience in Germany felt today after analysis of Adolf Hitler's remarkable order of the day and his assumption of direct army command that the war had been brought e long way toward the gambling stage" in which poll. teal considerations would ircreas. ingly weigh against purely military considerations.
 Nobody was fooled into believing that Hitiers decision meant any, thing like c German collapse.
 Politics always plays big part In military as well as diplomatic decisions, but 1t is recognized that the Nazi regime draws It's life blood from Hitier's prestige and the leg end of his infallibillty.
 It was believed here that If Hit. Ter felt control of the war slipping from his grasp he would be pre- pared to lash out in all directions, stalking everything on one huge ef- fort.
 If the Russians in the next few months succeeded in steadily smashing back the Germans with the winter wind at their back, there might conceivably be such posi- ton.
 Six months from the state of the Russo German war the Russians everywhere had the initiative, with fine morale, and there was evidence here of very bad morale among the Germans.
 May Have Opposed Hitler Hitler himself has stressed cofl1- munications and supplies difficult ties.
 It was thought possible here that Field Marshal Walther von Brauch- itsch had opposed an order by Hit Ter to stand fast everywhere in Rus- sia and had recommended with drawal for a considerable distance. and that the army now, 70 to speak, was forcing Hitler to assume direct responsibility for potential events.
 Brauchitsch's dismissal at any rate was viewed as a concession of a debacle of German strategy in Russia.
 A foreign office commentator said today that he believed the chief poe litical significance of Hitler's action was that Hitler was relying on his own reputation for infallibility to offset military setbacks.
 Tt has always been supposed in Germany that Hitler instinctively and intuitively does the right thing" the commentator said. "one would think the German people nov think less of his intuition but that FemAnins to be seen. There 6 no