Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-18
Reds Seen
Preparing
VoIga Stand
Observers Fe el Stain
Is Reversing Plan
BY PAUL MALLON

agreement. indicating General
Budcnny and 80 TO 80 divisions
of his southern Red army were
in that trap which the Nazis
sliced across the Ukraine. This
meant possibly three-Quarters Of
a million men dangerously
pocketed The military situation
suggested no more than ID dlvl-
sionS could possibly escape.
The bad news. while not I'M
expected. inspired week end
speculation as 10 how near the
end was in Russia, and particu-
larry what end.
The Nazis clearly had their
hands on the Ukraine. but the
acquisition of this probably de-
nuded, rich. granary district
meant little. because territory
has not been the primary mill
tary objective of the Nazis from
the start against the Reds.
a-tt44--iff- ett4ii44 f4aisF-aaS- been Cons
Quoted singly toward the de-
struCtion of the Red army.
simultaneously. it became evil
dent here the Reds plan to
marshal what they can Of their
armies, not back Of the Urals
as had been previously supposed,
hut behind the Volga River.
Preparations have disclosed this
intention.
Consequently it seemed rea-
sonable 10 assume Stain might
save enough men and machines
from the fray TO maintain a
stable Volga Line, leaving the
current campaign for the Winter
on about the same basis as the
Chinese, who lost the richest
part of their country but are
still able TO resist indefinitely
from Chunking.
INTERPRETATIONS of til e
L Roosevelt Churchill agree e.
ment and discussions were dis
couraged by government officials
even long after the joint state
ment was announced, and the
British press was interpreting it
to the fullest and possibly be-
yond.
1t was quite obvious, however,
that the two leaders did not
need all those generals and adj
mirals TO talk about postwar
peace. which is none of the busi-
ness of the military. From this
il could safely be judged that
the least important part Of the
meeting was the joint state
ment of ultimate peace aims.
Both governments here are
plainly following Axis diplomatic
technique. If they follow the
same line further, their agree
ments will only be made public
when action is taken later in
either London or Washington.
ONLY excuse officially sug-
" gested here for the complete
blackout of the American press
on the historic Roosevelt
Churchill meeting at sea is that
the British prime minister was
invited by us, and as our guest,
we had TO guard his safety.
The British did not feel that
way about II. British newsmen,
representatives of the press serv-
ice in the ministry of Informal
ton. were taken along to the
gathering. They sent back TO
London intimate details of the
gathering which were published
In British newspapers. No Amer
lean newsmen were present, the
White House having advised cor
respondents TO wait at the spe-
cial train on a siding in Boston
for the Presidents return.
The official excuse for this is
that the British newsmen are
technically under the govern
ment and could be taken on an
official mission, while ours are
privately employed. The point
seems 10 be that the public gets
more news in a country at war
and under strict censorship than
in a free democracy at peace,
suffering only a national emer-
gency.
THE duped newsmen here are
Il fit 10 toss a few linotype
machines around. not only as a
result of this, but the whole
trend toward Washington Sc
crecy, of which this was the
climax.
Navy Secretary Knox. for in
stance. (the authority who per-
sonally assured newsmen the
President was going on a news
less vacation and pleaded with
them not 10 trouble himl, wrote
story for the current issue of
Golfers.
In this magazine article UNI
der his own name, he announced
the important news that had
been suppressed up TO then by
his navy department. namely,
that an American naval OBJ
server was aboard the plane
which spotted the German bat
tleship Bismarck. an event
which led 10 her sinking.
In the same article Mr.. Knox
wrote:
Every citizen In a democracy
has n right to ask questions of
his government and the right 20
expect frank answers"
Distributed nv King Features Syndicat
Inc Reproduction In Whole or In Pa
strictly Prohibited.