Evening star., 1943-09-16


women Of Stains country great
debt.
But--And this comes from . man
who loves Russia and the Russians
80 much that he once went 20 far
as to try . slug Of vodka and turn
ut that Russian dance where you
throw your feet out from under you
and land most uncomfortably-the
Russians are going Z little too far
when they claim that they were
chiefly responsible for the finish Of
Italy a. an Axis partner.
It's all right for the Russians to
ask to share in the credit for the
knocking out OF italy, but they
needn't Jump overheard with all
their clothes on. and intimate that
al the British and Americans con.
trtbuted to Mussolinix downfall was
: few generals to sign the capitu-
lation papers.
After all. the British 9Th Army
isn't hay. Its hard-bitten little runts
hung on In Africa when 1t looked a.
II they were ~ lost on the cont.
nent ~ Livingstone ever was. And
no one Is going to tell me that Alex.
ander and Montgomery are Just Z
couple OF Eaton boys who licked
Rommel because they could get
quick laundry service for their top
hats In Cairo.
And what about the Americans
under Patton and CLARK and Eisen.
hover? Didn't they have something
TO 90 with Tunis and Sicily? Those
tanks and guns and airplanes we
had manned by our men didn't hurt.
did they? Does Russia really believe
that the Gen. Shermans and
Grants and P-40s and Splits and
Libs and Forts and Marauders and
Pals didn't lead to the collapse Of
Fascist forces? Do they believe the
British Commands, the American
Rangers and the paratroopers Of
both countries cut and chopped at
the Germans and Italians with
knives for butter and hearts to
match?
Certainly the Russians offensive
helped the British and the Ameri.
cans to get Italy out Of the war.
No one would deny that, but for
Russia to take the entire credit ID
ridiculous and unsmart. Unsmart
for this reason. We OF the United
Nations have been led to believe
that this is war Of cooperation,
OF teamwork, of all the foes Of
Nazism pulling together.
Even If Russia's claims were true.
how much smarter 1t would have
been for the Russians to have given
credit to the British and the Amer
leans. II they had issued q congrat-
ulatory message, saying, in effect,
Thanks, pals" 1t would have been
q great factor toward closer CO.
operation in the future. It would
have enabled the British and Amer.
leans to stick their thumbs in their
galiuses, poke out their chests a bit
and say back to the Russians.
Thanks, pals, and soon we'll show
you what some real G. I. fight
ing is."
Come to think OF 1t, the Russians
shouldn't forget that England has
been in there pitching longer than
they have. Any time the Russians
want to sit down for some serious
thinking they might consider the
fact that 1t wouldn't be so good for
them right now If England had quit
and that island bastion belonged to
the Germans.
And 1t is all right for Americans
to remember this, too-that Enr.
land was helped to keep swinging
IN the toughest hours by the knowl-
edge that the United States would
never let her down.
In other words, the United States
England, Russia. China and all the
others who have united under the
banner OF decency, are fighting a
war together. 1t doesn't become
Russia to start claiming credit for
everything, magnificent as she has
been.
'Dassriouted by McNausht Syndicate, Incl