Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-16
Hitler Re+ires
To Get Set
For Spring
British May Invade ItalY
From TripoIi
BN Paul MALI.ON

There is truth in tho
claims of both Reds and NaziS
about what happened in this
Russian triumph.
The hordeS of Hitler are not
merely drawing in the pockets
they thrust into the Russian
lines in their desperate. pre-
Winter push for Leningrad, Mos
COW and the Caucasus.
. They are not merely STRAIGHT
ening out their line. They are
retreating to a planned Winter
front
II is not a straight fortified
position, but has been hastily re-
constructed on old Red defense
lines based primarily on nat
ural obstacles, such a. rivers,
marshes. hills, which are disable
in reverse.
In the process of this retreat,
Herr Hitler IS getting the lick
ing of his life. TO date. The with
drawal was started with con-
siderable haste in race against
the falling thermometer Large
quantities Of disabled or slow
moving equipment had to be left
behind for the Reds to repair
and use.
CAUSES of der fuehrer'S de-
" bacle taSldc from the obvious
unConquerdhlc courage of the
Red lcgionS), have naturally
been obScured in communicates
from both Moscow and Berlin.
Foremost was the factor that
Hitler could not keep open
through the winter the roads by
which to supply his advanced
forces. He had 10 get his troops
back where he could feed them.
But. equally important, was
his shortage Of manpoWcr His
retreat confessed this. The
trained daredevil battalions Of
the NaziS have been used up in
continuous assaults. They cam
not be replaced.
He dare not hold long lines.
He must draw in; reOrganize.
plan 10 marshal every available
energy, and every tank for
new campaign in the spring.
II must be conceded then
realistically, that his chances
look fairly good. He still has "A
formidable army and the Rus
slams badly need equipment
which they arc not likely TO get
in sufficient quantities before
the weather clears again.
The jackal has merely retired
to lick his first wounds.
HITLER pretended. in his
II significantly sober ReichStag
speech, that he had all Europe,
outside Of Russia, securely in
his grasp This may not prove
true.
The prospects OF the Libyan
campaign furnish hope that
British invasion of Italy will
come next year and that is
where we may come in.
" The sly Nazi tank general,
Ronmel, has been forced back
INTO the Libyan hills. southeast
and southwest of Tobruk. The
man section OF his army was
encirclcd thcre% early in this sec
Qnd British drive.
Two British raiding parties
have swept around 10 the sea
behind him TO cut of gtrcat
The British idea IS To pound him
against the coast and CNtermi-
nate him.
Rommcl still had two Nazi
tank divisions, one Italian tank
division and two Italian motor
lied infantry divisions. as last
count He cannot expect much
from the tagged Italians. They
held Hellfire Pass long after
the British had passed but the
garrison there was isolated and
-t+i4tt4f't-tt emf itrrtf-s- --------------
If Rommel is wiped out, Mus
cplipf vrt1I coo d. gos,cortY.fi ,,, cf
Allied troops Cno doubt inClud-
ing Americans on the shores of
Tripoli, preparing 10 leap upon
his Shoulders, which have been
dropping continuously since he
first raised them to plunge a
knife in the back of France.
SOUTH AMERICA is coming
~ around. but don't expect too
much too fast Each nation
there has lis own peculiar IN
tcrrr"l political problem To work
-uul before Wal can bc declared
Chile is the toHchlcSt SPOT
with elections next year Tho
pro-Amcrican left wlngcrS are
powerful, but if they win. the
local FaSciStS may start shooting.
Argentina Is also difficult.
The people seem 20 be more pro-
American than the government,
al times Former President
JuSto, who is popular with the
army. would throw Argentina
on our side If he could stage
successful revolt.
No violence is expected. hat
neither IS an carly declaration
of war
Brazil has a flexible leader
ship, trying 10 help US and han
die large German and Italian