Evening star., 1942-04-15
Nazis Are Expected
To Begin New Drive
Toward Caucasus
Germon War Machine,
However, Seen Focing
Many Obstacles
BY CLYDE A. FARNSWORTH.
Wide World News.

Most observers expect Germany
next major move in Russia TO be a
renewal of the drive toward the oil
Of the Caucasus. which had barely
taken form before winter and re-
surgent Russians fell upon them in
the first great reverse of the Hitler
military machine.
Tie in with Japanese stabs toward
India, such a German drive. with
its threat of junction with the jap
anese, would turn the Middle East
into a prime theater Of war. where
the course of the whole conflict
might we'll be decided
Hitler sorely needs to tap the oil
fields OF the Caucasus. If not the oil
riches Of the whole Middle East. and
Russia. without this lifeblood of
mechanical war, might become a
hopeless anemic.
The Germans had a foot in the
gate to the Caucasus before the
Russians drove them out of Rostov
at the outset of their counteroffen-
sive late last November.
Russia Demonstrates Power.
The 40-mile retreat Of the Ger
mans from Rostov to Taganrog was,
of course. a credit to the general
ship and power of the Russians, but
it nowise dissolved the threat to the
Caucasus.
The Russians, still in naval COM
mand of the Black Sea, holding the
Crimean base of Sevastopol in the
face of fierce siege and with foot
hold rewon on the Kerch Peninsula
Of the Crimea. will remain a thorn
in the flank of the drive toward the
Caucasus unless the Germans can
meanwhile clean up the Crimea.
As for Russia's offensive prospects
one or another Of the salients which
her winter fighters carved into the
German central front-perhaps the
one toward Smolensk, west of Mos
cow, or the other principal one
which is said to have trapped Ger
man army at Staraya RuSSa, north
east of Moscow-might be developed
as counterdrive into Poland or the
Baltic states.
Leningrad Is one of the great
question marks of the battle of Rus
sia. Under siege since last August
this city at the head of the Gulf OF
Finland, shielded from the sea by
Kronstadt naval base, is a potential
springboard for still other counter
offensive action against the Ger
mans, and at the same time a
tempting locale for q great German
diversion attempt.
1t must be assumed that Lenin-
grad would have been taken by the
Germans long ago II they could
have managed it without thinning
their lines to the danger point else
where. BY the same reasoning it
must be assumed that the Russians
would have lifted the siege, taken
the industrial center out from under
German field gun bombardment, ii
the offensive power had been al
locable.
Perhaps the Red Army was forced
to choose whether TO save Moscow
or lift the siege of Lentngrad.
Contest for Communications.
Between Leningrad and Muir
mansk on the Barents Sea. where
Firms fight at the side of the Ger
mans. the battle is likely to remain
contest for communications south
ward from the Arctic supply ports
Of the Russians, with the added
possibility that the area might fig
ure in any extension of the war into
Scandinavia.
Russia has made it difficult to
appraise her military position.
There is no sure way of differen-
tiating in her war reports between
statements of actual military sig
niflance and dispatches intended
primarily for home consumption.
Russian press dispatches, which
naturally fall under official sur