Evening star., 1942-07-12

Enormous striking power is stin at the
command of Nazi Germany and is still
directed intelligently as we'll as ruth
lessly by Nazi leadership. That is the
unwelcome but inescapable conclusion
to be drawn from the smashing attacks
which have now brought large additional
sections of Russia under enemy domina-
ton.
Only two months ago the Russians
were "battering at the gates Of Kharkov.
Exultant commentators assured us that
the German armies, exhausted by astro-
nomical losses and uncomfortable priva-
tions, we're definitely on the defensive.
Offhand predictions of second front
encouraged popular belief that the tide
of war had finally turned against the
Axis. If Stains urgent requests for aid
we're based on desperate need the Amer
ican public certainly had no intimations
to that effect.
Now, as so often in the course of this
war, grim reality has again tripped up
light-hearted anticipation. And the
resulting picture is the more somber
because of the unexpectedness Of the
spill.
The recent German victories in Russia
demonstrate the same careful planning.
the same tremendous driving force, the
same ability to capitalize on every weak
ness in the opponent which throughout
has characterized NaN war-making.
Again the United Nations must confront
not merely another defeat, but also the
bitter disillusionment which is inevitable
when optimism has been overplayed.
Axis Gains Held Vital.
With the capture of Sevastopol control
OF the Black Sea passes to the Axis. The
same outcome for the entire Mediter-
ranean is threatened by the invasion of
Egypt, in spite of the heroic manner In
which the British have rallied to check
the formidable Marshal Ronlmel. In the
Don Basin severance of the last good
rail connection between Northern and
Southern Russia Is threatened. In the
Far East Japan has in seven months
transformed vulnerable position into
one which will be exceedingly difficult
to undermine.
|
by merely refusing to confront them.
| And since this is the case it is becoming
important to inquire why so much an
! ticipation Of victory is producing so little
in the way of results contributing to that
end. N
One major reason for the continuing
strenSth Of the Axis certainly deserves
more attention than has as yet been
vouchsafed. It is found, somewhat
1 paradoxically, In the prospects OF defeat
for Germany and her partners in inter-
national crime. All Of the Axis nations.
in2aud1Ag democratic Finland, have been
clearly given to understand that they
need expect no consideration whatever
If they lose the war.
This Is true even in the case Of Japan,
nation toward which Americans have
certainly no heritage Of ill-feeling. Our
intentions with regard to a defeated
Japan are not as yet officially defined.
But enough has been said to indicate
that we propose to deprive that country
of any future striking power, and to see
that its virile. ambitious people are
! ucuCclOTGkl UlOCkCu up Ill bLIC1 OWiI WI
canic, relatively barren and overpopu-
lated chain of islands.
Italy's Future Disregarded.
| There are also no commitments with
regard to the future OF Italy. This may
be due to the unfortunate assumption
that the Italians are a wholly unim-
portant people, more sinned against than
SHINING, whose nationalistic pretensions
had best be treated as joke. 1t does
not seem to occur to us that large
number of anti-Fascist Italians may find
this intolerably humiliating, and that
they may resent our patronizing attitude
as bitterly as we would were the shoe
on the other foot:
| For the Germans, who are too dia-
bolically competent to be either despised
or patronized, the shape OF things to
come has been defined That nation is
to be permanently disarmed, indefinitely
policed. deprived of any possibility of
again asserting itself as an important
political force. Moreover, the Germans
have more than little reason to believe
that the control Of their destinies is to
be handed over to the Russians, people