Evening star., 1941-08-17
Specter of Stabilized Russian Front
With Winter Coming Looms Before Nozis
BY MAI. GEORGE
FIELDING ELIOT.

Reports from the Ukraine front
continue to be somewhat puzzllng.
The facts, stated by both sides-as
| distinguished from mere general
claims-could be consistent with
any one of three actual conditions:
The development and consequent
capture or destruction OF a great
part of the Russian armies in this
area. a continued Russian resist
ance before Odessa and in the bend
of the Dniep3r, or a general with
draWal by Marshal Budenny to the
line of the Dnieper, covered by rear
! guard actions, with Odessa and.
Nikolaiev being held by forces in
tended only to cover embarkations.
Should the last named situation
actually prevail, and should further
information confirm that Marshal
Budenny has made a successful
withdrawal to the Dnieper without
undue loss, the fact would be OF
! ominous portent for the Germans.
1t would show that the Russian
morale and the Russian leadership
is capable of that most difficult OF
operations, withdrawal in the face
of the enemy while maintaining
fighting power intact. Should this
prove to be the case, then what
Marshal Budenny can do. Marshal
Vorospilov and Marshal Timo-
shenko could also accomplish, if
necessary.
The specter of stabilized front
in Russia with the coming of winter
would loom larger before the eyes
of the German high command. On
the central front, the Germans do
not appear to be gaining much
ground and if they have, as they
claim, won mighty battle in the
Smolensk area, they do not seem
to be exploiting their victory.
Farther north, however, the Ger
man advance from Staraya, Russia,
certainly imperils the Leningrad-
Moscow railway, and Leningrad now
seems threatened from four direc-
tions: North of Lake Ladoga, the
Karelian Isthmus, north of Lake
Peipus and from Staraya.
Two Lines Remain Open.
Even should the Moscow line be
out. two main railway lines still re-
main open for the withdrawal of the
garrison. 1t will be a matter for
very careful judgment on the part
of the commanding general as to
when withdrawal should begin. If
he starts withdrawing too soon,
priceless time may be given away;
if too late, troops and equipment
may be needleSsly sacrificed. 1t
should however, be pointed out that
Leningrad is not yet lost nor in
hopeless straits. On the whole, 1t
may be said that the tremendous
claims of the German last week do
not, on the face of present reports,
appear to have been justified by
actual events. The front. however,
is large one the distances great,
and it takes time to reap the fruits
of victory.
Later and fuller information may
tend to bear out the German claims
than can be present perceived. Ger
tainly Russian resistance continues.
There is no hint of any general
breakdown of the fighting forces,
nor of anything resembling internal
collapse. No great Russian center
has yet been taken.
No great portion of the Russian
armies has yet been surrounded and
destroyed. These things may be on
the brink of occurrence. We can
only point out that they have not
yet occurred. And time goes on,
winter approaches, the British air
attack on Western Germany rises
to new scales of vigor, while on the
political front Britain and America
take the joint offensive and jointly
promise full aid to Russia. This
political offensive looms as of great
er Importance with every day, al
most every hour, that passes. .
Pronouncements From Vichy.
AS the week began, the world
was prepared by the German propa-
ganda machine for Notwithstanding
pronouncement from Vichy. 1t
came as a minor change in the
French cabinet giving Admiral Dar-
| Ian full control of the armed forces
| and offset by reports of Weygand's
recalcitrance.
Next Darlan. himself, was to make
a statement of epochal Importance
: it came, a mere appeal to the