Evening star., 1942-08-11

Russia, or at least to reduce 1t to
point where no Russian offensive
need be feared by Germany in l943,
leaving Germany free hand else
where.
The Germans are making conSld-
erable progress toward cutting Rus
sia's communications with the out
side world by way of the Persian
Gulf. Probably, except for the Rus
sian Army in the Caucasus itself.
that mission has already been &C
complished in large part.
Arctic Routes Value Grows.
All this makes more important
than ever the supply route to Rus
sia through the Arctic Ocean, which
already has the advantage of
much shorter sea haul and of more
direct rail communication, by way OF
ArchangeI. with the vital centers of
Russian power.
This route is directly menaced by
German surface warships, subma-
rines and ATTRACT operating out Of
the fjords of Northern Norway.
These now have the additional
advantages OF the long Arctic day.
and the fact that conveys are con-
strained to follow the comparatively
narrow sea channel between the
southern edge of the ice pack and
| the coastline.
If these fjords could be seized by
| a combined air, sea and land offen-
| sive, the aid thus rendered to Rus
sio would be direct and immediate,
for thereafter Allied convoys could
move from Iceland or from Scotland
to Murmansk and Archangel under
almost complete immunity from at
tack, save by rowing submarines
operating far from their bases and
trusting to luck to intercept target.
The flow of supplies to Russia
could be doubled, or perhaps even
further increased.
1t is possible to give conveys in
the open Atlantic almost complete
prote ction, but this Arctic passage
has oeen extremely difficult and full
of dangers-dangers which would
disappear if Northern Norway were
in our hands.
One OF the greatest advantages
sought by the Germans in their Cau-
casian campaign would thus be off,
set, for the increased flow of supplies
to. Russia by this comparatively short
route would more than compensate
for the loss of supplies brought into
the Persian Gulf by the long haul
around the Cape of Good Hope.
Aid to Russian Morale.
Moreover, a successful combined
operation in Northern Norway would
have other very definite advantages,
1t would be directly adjacent to ter
ritory now held by the Russians, and
would therefore be made a Joint
operation in which, almost for the
first time, the Russian forces would
acquire the feeling of being actually
supported by strong Allied force
fighting in direct conjunction with
them.
The Norwegian population woa1id
certainly give all the help 1t could.
and the way might be opened for
change in Finnish policy which
would be most acceptable to the ma
jority of Firms.
The position of Sweden would be
made easier. or alternatively the
Germans might find themselves
compelled to demand passage for
their troops through Sweden and
thus bring about a state of major
hostilities in the north of Europe
which could not but be to our ad-
vantage.
In the wider strategic sphere the
freedom of action now enjoyed by
enemy naval and air operations in
important selections of the North
Atlantic would be sharply reduced
and our own freedom of action in
creased.
The United Nations control of the
North Atlantic would be anchored
on the east; our present line ex-
tending from Canada to Greenland
and Iceland would be extended to
its logical conclusion.
The amount of naval force now
required for convoy duty and for the
mere containing of an inferior Ger
man force operating under air cover
from the Norwegian fjords would be
greatly reduced.
Many more warships Of various
types would become available for
the Mediterranean or the Pacific
The sense of relief would be felt by
United Nations naval dispositions
everywhere.
That the Germans themselves are
not unmindful of how profitable this
Norwegian operation would be to the
United Nations is suggested by their
recent reconnaissance flights over
Iceland. Naturally, these flights
may prove to be prelude to some
German drive to forestall such an
Allied thrust, but the Germans are
also reported increasing the defenses
Of the Norwegian coast
Copyright, 1o42, by New York Tribuns