Evening star., 1941-12-14
Text of Litvinoffs Press Conference State
Soviet Envoy Says Red Army Will Destroy German nvoders
Sees Russio in Full Accord With U. S. and Britain
BY the Associated Press.

hdnded 0y MGTtTl LttDfnOD, SOD-
let Ambassador, to reporters at
press conference yesterday.
I am happy to greet within the
walls of my Embassy the represent
ative of the American press. hope
there will be many opportunities for
further meetings in happier circum-
stances than today's.
left the Soviet Union precisely
month ago. During that short
period important events have taken
place, bringing in their train new
problems, for the true understand
ing of which it may be useful to look
back upon the history of the past
six months. I will dwell upon this
history as briefly as possible.
AS you know, Hitler, having COM
pleted his campaign in the west,
and then in the Balkans and on the
Isle of Crete, and having taken up
a defensiveNposition in Libya, turned
to the next item of aggression on
his program, the object this time
being the Soviet Union.
MY government did receive warn
ings as to the treacherous inten-
tions Of Hitler with regard to the
Soviet Union, but it did not take
them seriously. and this not because
it believed in the sacredness of Hit
ler's signature, or did not believe
him capable of violating the treaties
he signed and the oft-repeated SOL
emn promises he made, but because
1t considered that 1t would have
been madness on his part to under
take war in the east against such
a powerful land as ours before fin
ishing off his war in the west.
Hitler's Errors Cited.
The easy victories he scored all
over Europe lent wings to his mad
ness. on which he is soaring toward
his doom. But, though there was
| method in his madness, his plans
were based upon a series OF miscal-
culations, both as to our military
strength and the morale within the
country. The only thing that went
according to plan was the advantage
of keeping the initiative in his
hands the advantage OF surprise.
Attack without the slightest warn
ing and before declaring war, even
sometimes under cover of diplomatic
negotiationS-such is the contrlbu-
ton of the Axis powers, the founders
of the so-called new order, to the
rules for intercourse between ma
tions. their contribution to interna-
tional life. Such tactics certainly
give the attacking side considerable
advantage at the start, and insure
it easy victories.
The American Nation has, only a
few days ago. experienced on their
own back what this means. Hitler
did the same thing. when before de-
claring war he attacked almost all
our airports and military bases just
behind the frontiers. In this way
he was able to destroy in flash
very considerable quantity of our
/ airplanes and tanks and, to GER
/ tain extent, throw into confusion our
troops, taken as they were unawares
and without the slightest expecta-
ton of war.
1t must. moreover, be added that,
despite all that has been said. up
| till then, of the vast growth OF Ger
man armed forces, this was under
estimated by the whole world.
! Nazi Army's Size UDderestimated.
Germany's war machine, as it now
appears, considerably surpasses the
highest estimates in the number of
airplanes, tanks and other deadly
weapons, and the whole of this mon
strous machine was launched against
the Soviet Union before we are able
to get properly prepared for such
| an attack and to moboliZe our own
forces. AS result Hitler managed
for a long time. to press back our
troops, to force them into retreat
and to penetrate deeply into our
country.
But these achievements cost Hit
Ter dear. Our troops put up a des-
perate resistance, fighting to the
last man over every ridge and
streamlet, every hamlet, every town.
every yard Of earth and inflicting
| enormous losses upon the foe. The
German high command, as you
know, frequently complains bitterly
that We do not stick to the rules
of the game, that our troops do
not surrender when they ought to
according to the book They COM
plain also that the population of
occupied territory, instead of bless
ing Hitler's new order" and pro-
ducing from their midst Quislings,
Petains and Darlans, wreak violent
reprisals upon the occupiers, attack
them, destroy their stats, their
communications and their ammuni-
ton trains, never giving the foe a
moments respite.
Despite this, and at the price Of
stupendous sacrifices, the Nazi
troops have managed to occupy q
considerable portion of Soviet ter
ritory, several big cities and not a
few important industrial centers.
But If Hitler counted on finding in
them anything Of value for the re-
Punishment of his much-depleted
supplies, he was greatly mistaken.
Everything that his troops were in
need Of, the very machinery from
the plants has either been destroyed
or removed.
Hitler Made Good Losses.
A situation nevertheless arose In
which Hitler, with the whole pow
erful industry of Germany, Austria
Czecho-Slovakia, Belgium, France
and other occupied countries, un-
touched and at his disposal, was
able with impunity to make good
his losses of military materiel. while
this became increasingly difficult
for us. owing to the evacuation OF
industrial centers.
Hitler makes good his losses in
man power by drawing upon the
youngest and Oldest classes, and
upon his armies of occupation in
France, Belgium and elsewhere
Thus, for five and a half months
the Red Army has had to endure
without outside aid, the full pres
sure of the powerful military ma
chine of Hitler's Germany, with its
mighty reserves and resources, fol
during this period Hitler did moi