Evening star., 1943-09-05

The Quebec conference is over. presi-
dent Roosevelt and Prime Minister
Churchill have met again In Washington
where political matters Of the highest
Importance were carefully considered.
From the few scraps Of information
obtained after the Quebec meeting and
from the important moves now being
planned In the political-diplomatic field,
1t appears probable that political Develop
ments in the next six months will over
shadow military operations.
Military operations are not undertaken
on the spur of the moment. Even those
which are prompted by political rather
than strategic motives must be carefully
and minutely prepared. Hence, it is
believed that this fall and winter will
witness the execution OF the decision
taken by the chiefs Of staff at their
meeting here last May.
The Quebec conference likely further
confirmed the plans drawn in May and
prepared the ground for Allied combat
operation In the summer Of 1914.
Political matters, however, are more
dynamic than military matters. As with
military strategy, 1t is wise to plan them
carefully beforehand. But many unfore-
seen or vaguely. foreseen developments
may occur with tightening speed. And
the best that can be done is to prepare
for them and leave no stone unturned in
order to avoid what we do not want to
happen.
Russians Advance Steadily.
The Russians are advancing steadily
on the eastern front. The Germans are
not routed. They are withdrawing to q
much shorter line on the Dnieper River.
That, at least, is the assumption Of
American military observers who must
make their deductions from the reading
OF the official Russian and German COM
muniques.
There is always, Of course, the pos
sibility that the Germans will Withdraw
even farther and abandon the Ukraine
altogether. II such.a retreat is performed
in an orderly manner with the Germans
keeping their armies intact, the Russians
may be placed strategically in an un-
favorable position since they will be so
much farther from their main supply
bases which are being fed with American
and British lease-lend materials, prin-
cipally through Persia.
This is the military situation on the
eastern front as it appears at the present.
The political. situation is much more
confused.
There is ample evidence that the Soviet
government is not whole -heartediy SUBJ
scribing 10 the views of the American
Government regarding the postwar world
From the little information available
about our political role in Europe, it il
evident that we are favoring recon
ciliation of the different interests on thu
basis Of what we consider equitable.
It is believed here that the British ar,
on our side so far as Europe is con.
cerned. They have gone into the wal
to defeat the totalitarian ideology ane
to defend the independence of thos.
smahrnntions which have been buIliec
by the dictators. f
wants weak 70 Unite.
They overlook the rape of Austria ant
Czechoslovakia because their appeaser,
who were then in power believed that the
Germans were not entirely wrong wher
they claimed that Austria and the
Sudetenland were overwhelmingly Ger
man.
But when Hitler attempted to put the
Nazi hooks into Poland, Britain and
France entered the war in spite of their
utter lack of military preparations. This
is a historical fact and it would be unfair
to believe that Mr.. Churchills govern
ment has changed its point of view so far
as the small nations of Europe are con-
cerned
1t is true that some months ago he
suggested that these countries, which are
weak while they are alone and must
choose patron among the great powers
to protect them, should get together into
some sort of federation. This would
make them more independent of the
larger states and might avoid some
scrapping among themselves.