Evening star., 1941-09-28
When Winter Comes

w w SSbhSS
DR.. Goebbels' propaganda machine
has a basic pattern of operation
which easily can be recognized. And
right now, as the chilly wind and
rain of the Berlin autumn whistles
and patters down the WilhelmStrasse,
the astute doctor obviously is pre-
pairing a bitter pill for German
consumption, albeit with as much
psychological sugar-coating as cir
cumstances permit.
The pill is the hard fact that Ger
many is in for winter campaign in
Russia of major proportions. Gone
are those roseate predictions that by
autumn the Soviet Armies would be
hopelessly broken and forced either
to capitulate or to seek safety behind
the Urals, where they might be con-
tained by a moderate German COW
ering force. Even the German press
has admitted that every land under
Reich control was being secured for
fur coats, while the climax to these
preparations comes with the order
to Norwegians to turn over their
woolen blankets. The unpleasant
truth no longer can be concealed.
The sugar-coating takes the form
of reiterated communiques from
Hitler's field headquarters expatiat-
ing on the victory over the Red
Armies in the Kfv sector. This
triumph is hailed as the greatest
encircling movement of all time, and
the prisoners taken are claimed to
approach 600,000-a figure which,
under the psychological circum-
stances, is more than usually suspect.
Yet, slipped in between all this
victory talk is the following para
graph: although the advance has
already gone far, it is generally rec
ognized that one cannot figure on
German pressure against the Soviet
Armies letting up during the winter
months" This, obliquely, lets the
cat out of the bag. The "buildup' to
condition" the German public to
the grim truth of large-Scale winter
fighting in Russia clearly is under
way.
The average German has a pro-
verbal dread of the Russian winter.
Except in East Prussia, where cli-
matte conditions are not dissimilar
to those in the Soviet Union, Ger
man winters, though inclemently wet
and chilly, are usually not severe,
because most of the Reich is within
the zone of influence of the Atlantic
drift" with its prevailing westerly
winds which keep Western and Gen.
tral Europe from having the climate
of Labrador that lies on the same
latitude. Now and then, however,
as happened two years ago, the nor
NAL trend is reversed and frigid gusts
from the Russian steppes CONCEAL all
Germany with their icy breath. That
gives the Teutons a hint of what the
genuine article must be like. Also,
many veterans of winter campaigns
on the eastern front in the first
World War still tell tales of their
experiences. And they are not pleas
ant to hear when recounted to
families whose sons are even deeper
into Russia than last time.
All this does not mean that civilian
morale is going to crack at the pros
pect Still less does it mean that
the German Armies are going to lose
their efficiency in the ordeal which
lies before them. From a technical
point of view, the Reich'S mechanical
war machine can function better in
a country where everything is frozen
solid and where, except in the ex-
treme north, the snowfall does not
average deep enough to keep tanks
and tractors from operating.
Yet the human ordeal remains. 1t
will be severe, and losses from FROST
bite will be heavy. The prospect is
not encouraging to people which
has been led to hope it might be
averted. 1t will be another burden
on the endurance of a folk already
gravely strained. And no one knows
this better than DR.. Paul Joseph
Goehbe1S