The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-08
Diplomats Figure Hitler
To Mste Peace proffers
Surprises Await MANS
Here and Among Russasns
Caucasus PEAKS Still Too
Much For Mar Military
BY ALBERT y. IEaAS

most reliable authority in the
capital. 1t can be stated that this
bloc has consulted among It's
members and IL dead set against
any official parleys with the an
envy. This group Ia committed to
about war and total victory.
Netherlands information sery-
ices In New York have lately
heard that Anton Mussert and
other Dutch Nazi puppets to-
gether with Belgisns OF the same
breed of cats have put out feel
ers concerning . possible eessa-
ton Of hostilities. Apparently the
usual Wilhelmstrasse stunt Of
sending prominent German busi-
nessmen with chatterbox foreign
wives 10 Stockholm and Madrid
To spread rumors OF termination
has not been repeated.
But reports from Lisbon TO Man.
haitian banks are that the new
approach Is to play upon Amer
lean sympathy for Finland. The
fnehrer is said 10 be ready 10 use
Helsingsfors' representatives as
olive branch bearers. The chief
spokesman Is J. X. Paasikivi.
former minister to the Soviet who
ratified the treaty with Russia.
He has been visiting foreign cap
itals scattering hints of reconcile
iation and delivering speeches that
end with the stock phrase. II do
not think my mission Is finished
yet"
The average reader is so en-
quilted In the weller of both opti-
mistic and depressing forecasts
about the Russians ability to hold
the towering Caucasus mountains
that he is confused by the hodge
podge of news. This first-hand in
skmation from United States en-
gineers and other expert observ-
ers freshly returned from the
mysterious region clarifies the
blurred picture: The lofty range
itself should prove TO be natures
own Maginot line--nearly impreg-
nable to frontal assault.
II Is peopled by sixteen fierce
tribes, all speaking different
tongues. and so isolated from one
another that in some instances an
eagle-nest village on the summit
Of one erag has never had COM
munication with that on a neigh
boring cliff. Ordinarily such bar
barrie guardians would count little
against modern planes and artil-
lery. But In this unique terrain
a few properly armed military
units could actually stage a VIC
torious Thermopylae. And Stain
has taken pains to train his wild
mountaineers many of them
Georgians. his countrymen - and
to support them with well-equip-
ped regulars.
The early Bolshevists learned
about the prowess Of these high
landers In one Of the most humi-
liating defeats ever suffered-al-
though the story has been kept
from the outside world. A Red
punitive expedition crawled
through the snake-like passes con-
fident that It's superior weapons
soon would annihilate the rebels.
They reached a long. deep canyon.
Suddenly the savage defenders
loosened a huge pile of rock by
means of an ancient wooden bat
tering-ram and the avalanche COM
pletely buried the Lenin host Not
a trace OF the invaders remained
above the surface OF the debris.
Similar death traps are now bait
ed for the Germans.
II General Won Book In eonvinc-
ed that he cannot breach the
snow-capped fastness Of the cau-
casus. he may attempt the classi-
cal German flank maneuver
around Baku. But here again he
confronts unimaginable hazards.
according 10 a New York scien-
fist who has just arrived from an
official mission in the area and
who formerly was employed there
by the Soviet In its five-year plan.
The ground near the coveted gaso-
line port il similar In many re-
speets TO the peat hogs Of Ire
land except that oil instead Of
water produces the muck Of the
swamps. Corduroy roads support
ordinary vehicles but improvised
logs cannot hold siege guns and
heavy machinery.
One should not underestimate
Teuton foresight. The eomplacent
Allies boasted that Hitler never
could storm the Balkan peaks. yet
all the while he was perfecting a
unique Notwithstanding tank
which he had first tried out Ia
the Norwegian fiords. Previous 20
1893 the Near East was flied with
Sazi surveyors. tourists and land
scape painters VINO '.xasteds their
time sketching the inartlstlc con-
fusion Of the petroleum fields II
Is most likely that all natural bar
riers have long since been studied
and specific methods prepared for
overcoming them.
United States technicians in the
threatened gone are confident that
the granite forts viii hold but that