Askov American., 1943-12-23

|
luctant partners.
If these things come about, the
United Nations will have in
serted a huge wedge between
Germany and Asia Minor, and
will have paved the way for very
direct military aid to the Rus
| slams.
At all events, the Balkans will
bear watching; things have a habit
of happening in that part of Europe
with dramatic suddenness.
Bombing.
AS part of the general war
scheme, American and British bomb
ings of industrial German centers 20
on irregularly but frequently, and it
is characteristic of the situation that
as the Nazi anti-aircraft operations
become constantly weaker, the
strength of the Allied attackers in
creases all the time This was exem-
plified few days ago when Amer
lean Liberators shot down 1873 Ger
man airplanes during a single at
| tack on the port of Emden.
Italian Progress.
When Roosevelt and Churchill at
Teheran pledged themselves - and
Stain - to attack Germany relent-
| lessly from the west the east, and
the south, they meant that the bomb
| ing front in western Europe would
become more and more active, that
the Russian advance toward old
Poland and Germany itself would be
continued, and that the Allied forces
would move into Germany from the
south.
And in the southern sector of
the front - that is, Italy
things are happening right now,
for after period of not very de-
cisive fighting, Americans and
British are going ahead full
steam against the Nazi armies.
The American Fifth Army con-
tinues its operations on and near the
Italian west coast, while the British
Eighth Army marches on toward
| Pescara on the east coast. Both of
these huge units have Rome for
their most immediate objective, but
that, of course, is not the end of the
road. Berlin is. And Berlin is still
pretty far away - too far away,
at all events, to be reached before
Christmas, as some people had
sanguinely hoped.
Marching Ahead.
The Russian capture of the city of
Znamenka in the Ukraine the other
day proved once more that the
Soviet armies are still marching
ahead despite rough winter weather
There is no indication that any lull
will feature the war in Russia dur
| ing the next few months.
True it is, however, that the Rus
slams have suffered a few quite Sc
rious setbacks, especially in the re-
gion west of Kiev, but, generally
| speaking, their victories are of great
er importance than are their de-
| featS.
The situation does reveal the
fact, however, that the German
dihACS StiA POSSCSS AAhlkChoC
strength at least on this
front.
Whether that strength is superior
to that of the Russians is doubtful
least, the Nazis are retreating from
many of their positions along the
entire front, but their marching
! backward is of necessity not faster
than is the Russian movements ahead.
1t all takes time.
Pacific Front.
Having won decisive victories -
and very costly ones - on the Gill
| bert Islands in the central Pacific,
American forces began powerful at
tacks on the Japanese positions on
the Marshall Islands, still closer TO
Japan itself. One can see the outline
of the war plan of the Americans
| it hints that direct attack on Japan
proper is being prepared, and to
bring that about, all the islands
along the route have to be disin-
fected - that is, the enemy has to
be driven away.
This is slow work, but it is of
interest to note that on none of the
Pacific islands where fighting is 60
ing on, have the japanese for
months won a single victory. They
have been able to hold a good many
positions, but they have lost lot.
too, and they are making no new
conquests. This is a fact which is of
considerable significance.