Evening star., 1943-08-10

the background 1 d
into a sort of David Lawrence
quasi-political position such as the
premiers or prime ministers some
times occupy in democratic coun-
tries.
The fact that the German Army
has taken over means that plans
for prolonged defense are in the
making. Coupled with the intima-
tions that are being given on our
side that the war cannot be won by
air power alone, it may be taken for
granted that the Allies will have to
fight for every inch Of ground-on
the ground-before defeat will be
accepted by the Germans.
Elmer Davis, director of the Of
fee of War Information, has just
returned from Europe, where he
had opportunities to talk with mill
tary men and civilians in positions
of responsibility, and allowed the
correspondents in his first press
conference to quote him as saying
that the European war will end only
after German armies have been
decisively beaten on the field of
battle. He said that the heavy
bonbings of Axis territory, while
retarding production and affecting
the morale of the German people,
did not mean that Germany could
be conquered solely from the air.
200 Divisions in Russia.
Mr.. Davis pointed out that Ger
many still has 200 divisions intact
in Russia and that these forces
must be defeated before Germany
is conquered.
The next question is whether Rus
sia can do the job alone. The
Russians are clamoring for a second
front. It's not matter of termi-
nology with them. They concede
that operations in Sicily are help
full, just as they were ready to con-
cede that operations in North Africa
were beneficial to the cause. But
In quantities of German divisions
diverted from the Russian German
front, the United Nations have not
as yet succeeded in engaging any
substantial number of German di-
visions This is what counts toward
the ultimate ground victory.
The Russians call second front"
an operation extending over large
geographical area which takes a
sizsble chunk of the German Army,
air force and tank force and keeps
them all concentrated in one zone
very much as the Russians have
managed to do in Eastern Europe |
The United Nations high COM
nnand is no doubt working toward |
that end. BY getting toehold in |
Southern Italy and getting control |
of the Adriatic the time approaches
when armies can be landed or
equipment can be supplied to armies
in Yugoslavia, forming a pincers
movement with Allied troops landed
in Crete and Greece,
But these operations are in their
early stages, and 1t will be six
months to a year before they will !
be going full swing and thus begin |
to break up Germany's hold on the |
Balkans.
Millions of Men.
The Russians, on the other hand, !
will not be satisfied until a big front
Is opened in Northern France or
Belgium. That's what Moscow is
really hoping for. While the terms
second front" and third front"
are used by Mr.. Davis and other
spokesmen for our side because
these operations do aid in diverting
German divisions from Russia. the
fact remains that only when 1000
600 to 100000 British American
Canadian troops are ranged against
the Germans will the decisive bat
ties be fought that will end the war.
The theory that air power can
win and make unnecessary these de-
clsive battles is a pleasant one to
accept and it has already lulled
America into a kind Of expectation
about a war inexpensive in lives.
Most people would rather see the
war won by air, If that's at all DOS
sible, than see unnecessary cas-
ualties.
The theory about air power alone
being able to win will by the end
OF this summer, have had a fairly
thorough trial and then public
opinion in America and Britain
will come to realize that while air
power can be devastating, it is not
yet decisive. 1t may bring Italy to
her knees, but it has not DESTROYED
the military power of Germany,
whose divisions still command all
CT continental Europe, including
substantial area in Russia.
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