Evening star., 1943-10-17
Red Arms and War Aims

Red Arms and War Aims
The interrelation of strategy and
diplomacy is strikingly illustrated
by the repercussions of Russian vic
tories on the eastern front upon the
conference of foreign ministers
soon to convene at Moscow. Those
successes Of Red arms must inevita-
bly, strength the Soviet diplo-
matte position in the Moscow nego-
tiations. Indeed, their effect is pre-
sumably enhanced by the fact that
they were unexpected-at least, out
side Of Russia itself.
When the Moscow conference was
decided upon in principle, some time
ago. most military commentators in
America and Britain expected that
the autumn rains would cause
rather prolonged letup in the fight
ing on the eastern front. such COM
ments probably rejecting the opin-
ions OF American and British Army
authorities. This reasoning was
based upon the experience of the
past two years. when the eastern
front begged down during the au-
tumnal rainy season. precluding
Iarge-scale mechanical warfare un-
TIL the muddy terrain hardened with
the winter frosts. This year found
the Red Armies at the ends of i'm
provised supply lines over a broad
band Of devastated territory re-
gained during the summer months,
While the Germans were in prepared
positions along the broad Dnieper
River line to which they had skill
1ully retreated. The outlook thus
seemed to presage lull during the
ensuing two months.
However, the expected did not
happen. With virtually no pause. the
Red Armies smashed vigorously
across the Dnieper at three highly
strategic points and simultaneously
forged ahead against the string of
German strongholds masking the
Smolensk land gap into White Rus
sla. Still more recently they have
badly dented the prepared German
defense line which runs from "a
porozhe on the eastern bend of the
Dnleper southwark via Melitopol to
the shores of the Sea of Azov. That
line guards the narrow isthmus to
the Crimean Peninsula. The Ger
mans have blown up the big power
dam at Zaporozhe, and the i'm
pounded waters are flooding the
lower reaches of the Dnieper Valley.
But that does the Germans no good
In defending the Meltopol line, be-
cause the Dnieper bends sharply
westward at zaporozhe on it's wav
to the Black Sea. The fall of Me-
litopol will endanger the large Ger
man forces in the Crimea and may
compel a hasty evacuation of that
highly strategic peninsula, recovery
OF which by the Red Army would
spell control of the Black Sea and
intensified pressure on the wavering
Axis satellites in the Balkans,
These surprising Russian successes
nave been variously interpreted.
Such interpretations range all the
way from an astounding revelation
OF the Red Armys striking power to
an equally unlocked for German
weakness which involves the contin-
uous evacuation Of Russian TERRITORY
perhaps clear back to the Polish and
Rumanian borders. Yet, even if the
latter hypothesis be correct, the Red
Armies could not have made head
way against German rearguard ac-
tions unless the Russian communi-
cations and commissariat corps had
solved some very tough supply prob
lens. Whichever way the military
situation is looked at. the Red often
Slve continues to roll forward
against all handicaps, and the Red
Army grows proportionately in sta
ture and prestige.
Those indubitable facts must in
crease Soviet diplomatic weight and
bargaining power at the forthcoming
Moscow conference. Foreign Com
missar Molotov will sit down at the
green baize table with some extra
trumpS in his hand for the game
scheduled with Secretary of State
Cordell Hull and British Foreign