Evening star., 1941-08-11
Smolensk
Continued From First Page)

Moscow. Artillery rumbles in the
east Warplanes roar overhead,
some of them bombers operating
from airdromes which the Germans
say they took over almost intact
after Russian Withdrawals.
Front Seems Quiet.
The front. at segments where I
approached, seemed quiet. II was
explained, however. that such an sp-
pearance might be deceptive; that
strategic considerations at any one
moment might require troops TO the
right or left to thrust forward that
even in bitz war on front
spread across a continent every
soldier isn't on the move every
minute.
The Germans said many Of the
men would be overhauling equip
ment, catching their breath, or even
washing socks in the Dnieper, and
uncounted thousands were on dusty
highways, along railroads and in the
air bringing up supplies which mod
ern warfare uses at terrific rate
A hundred miles of travel in this
combat zone-much of it in a Ger
man military transport plane-re-
vealed that Stains scorched earth
program was only partly successful
here.
Minsk and Vitebsk. over which the
rlana fouy lnu- annAaral la~aI,,-.
but not to the extent of Smolensk.
Many Villages Untouched.
In between, however, hundreds of
straw-thatched villages, dark spots
In yellow countryside, for the most
part seemed untouched. The war
apparently had swept past them,
dealing the more Obstructive blows
to the larger communities.
Here and there could be seen the
blackened ruins of villages. In one
case a whole community of about
60 houses was burning briskly as we
few over.
Even in such cases, however, vii
layers remained nearby.
Between these villages stretched
rye and wheat fields cleaning
golden in the sun. The crops were
not destroyed. They were too green
to burn at the time the Russians
withdraw from the Smolensk area,
NOW much of the grain has been
harvested. Large numbers of per-
sons were seen at work in the
nelds-many Of them women, bare
loot, brown and husky-who toiled
on, paying little heed to soldiers or
the war.
There may be grain enough to
ieed most of the rural population il
it is harvested.
Hard Winter Ahead.
But what the thousands of town
dWellers are going to do when the
bitter Russian winter descends ON
their roof1ess, windowless and even
wall-less homes, no one, least of all
German soldiers, can tell. The black
chlmneys standing among the ashes
Will not be much protection agains,
such blizzards as sweep over these
rolling steppes.
Civilian organizations are spring.
ing up to do what they can to re-
lleVe what is sure to be agonizins
distress. But today the hundreds
OF ragged children playing amons
these ruins in Smolensk do not
realize what is to come.
This Monday in Smolensk is 8
great day for the orthodox Catholics
who still are talking about the mass
read yesterday in the white and golC
cathedral on the hill. The ornate
old structure was almost undamagec
and 1t now bristles with signs ir
German saying it is "verboten" tt
steal sacred objects.
First Public Mass in Years.
The Germans say yesterdays wa!
the first public mass Smoensk coulc
remember in the last 81 years.
saw some hundreds of worshippers
some of their eyes dim as they hearc
a stonemason read the mass. THAI
Is. he had been q mason under Sovie
rule; under the Gar he had beer
q priest. Yesterday this man. Serg,
Iwanon Luzkyn, laid aside hi
trowel and resumed the robes Of hi!
priesthood.
A big sign in Russian still on th'
front of the church describes it o.
an anti-rehgious museum.
I found the German commander
Of Smolensk sitting with his offlcer'
In what had been the directors room
of a savings bank. He was eating
a thick soup while millions OF flie'
buZzed about his head.
Come in" he said jovially, order
| ing more soup.
The flies, my friend. belong u
this scene. They were here durint