Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-19
Reds Plight
Far From
Hopeless
Hitler likely TO Fail in
Effort to Crush Army
BY PAUL MALL0N

WtSftfNiGf0$; Aug t9.-'rhe-
W Russian situation does not
look too bad. Ii is dangerous,
diScouraging, yet far from dis
aStrouS, so far,
Events arc shaping up toward
a winter battle line in tho south.
running roughly along the top of
the Caucasus Mountains, across
the vital oil regions. This would
mean that the Reds may keep
the richest and best OF the oil
producing area, south of those
mountains. out of Nazi hands
another winter.
If they can hold the Baku
area. where more than 50 per
cent of all Russian oil has been
produced. they will not consider
this a very unsuccessful cam
paign, when measured against
their advance hopes.
HITLER has seized the Mai
kop fields, and no doubt
soon will get Grozny, on the
northern side of the mountain
range. The Reds have announced
that the Maikop wells have been
destroyed" which only means
that il will probably take Hitler
six months 10 restore the pro-
duction system and get oil from
If they can hold the excellent
natural barrier of the protecting
Baku Mountains. il may not do
them much good, as far as sup
plying their own oil needs, bat
they will at least keep this vital
prize from the NaZis. Their
home supply has been estimated
sufficient to carry them through
the winter.
The Black Sea will be lost TO
them but they have some ship
ping in the Caspian, which will
enable them 10 communicate
with the main front. IL would
be too dangerous a route. and
cannot be freely used, but we
can get supplies and planes in
TO them through Iran. Further
more. there is at least one arms
factory behind that line.
The most decisive action on
this front therefore is yet TO be
determined. and the Russian
cause is not without hope. The
army of the southern commander.
TimoShenko, is still intact, has
merely been retreating and not
attempting 10 make major
stand north of the mountains
and therefore should be able to
do this job which is cut out
for II.
WINTER should start closing
w down on the northern front,
above the parallel OF Moscow,
within 10 days.
A heavy rainy season, which
will impede mechanical activities
generally, sets in south of Mos
COW about the latter part Of
September and October and con-
tinueS in varying degrees until
winter hardens the terrain.
On this central front the Rus
SLAMS are assuming defensive
position. which they hope 10
maintain through the winter,
along the excellent natural line
of the Volga and part of the Don.
Hitler has started unexpected
offensive thrustS around Voro-
nezh 10 break this Don line in
the center. He may soon go
hard after Leningrad and Mos
COW again, but so far, north of
Voronezh neither side has had
enough strength TO make any
appreciable dent in the other.
The layout OF the whole front
now is such that the Reds could
lose both Leningrad and Moscow
and not have TO give inf they
can hold the Caucasus noun
tainS and the Nolga-Don line.
If Hitler fails 10 get Stain
grad he will no doubt cut south
eastward, along tho east bank Of
the Volga TO Astrakhan.
EOOD may become Stains
Il worst enemy this winter.
Unprecedented bumper crops
have been raised this summer
in all unoccdpied areas of
Russia, but the total volume Of
the production naturally falls
far short. Of making up the loss q
of the rich Ukraine fields 10 the
Germans.
True also, We cannot hope 10
get much in TO them Murmansk.
of the Arctic Ocean is an ice
free port throughout the winter.
but German bombings and the
traffic Jams on the single rail-
road southwark TO Moscow.
have made il an inadequate
base.
NOTHING has been reported
~ concerning japanese inten-
tlons in Siberia. since they con-
centrated heavy forces on tho
NT,-,I,,,lr,,1 HArIo, A.,