Evening star., 1943-07-12

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when Presi- David Lawrence.
dent Roosevelt spoke Of the land
ings in Sicily as the beginning OF
the end" of the Axis powers, he was
speaking the confident beliefs and
hopes Of the United Nations, but
he did not, of course, estimate how
long the process of bringing the
war to victorious end was 60
ing to take.
ITO understand the strategy Of this
var and to eliminate wishful think
ing or unrealistic estimates of the
time when early victory is to be
achieved, it is necessary to know the
basic plan of the United Nations.
There is no secret about it, because
the plan is obvious, though often
even the obvious is overlooked. The
primary war strategy of the year is
to help Russia Everything depends
on Russia's ability to hold. For on
the continent of Europe. Russia
alone holds in check huge number
of German divisions.
Three Places to Strike.
Anything and everything that can
be done in a military sense to
divert NaN strength from pressure
on Russia is the real objective of
any movement undertaken. There
are three places where the Allies
might strike the continent - in
Northern France, in Norway and in
Southern Europe along the Medi-
terranean coast. The invasion of
France at the moment is considered
undesirable for various reasons and
the shipping involved in an attack
on Norway could doubtless be bet
ter used in the Mediterranean.
But, it will be asked, how can the
occupation of Sicily produce any
substantial diversion of Nazi troops
from Russia? The answer Is that
Hitler probably has crossed off
Italy as ne did Tunis, except as a
means of delaying the Allied opera
tions for the rest of this summer.
Undoubtedly the German Often
sive against Russia was undertaken
only after Hitler learned from his
agents in Spain just what shipping
was passing through the straits of
Gibraltar. When he saw that the
Allies were going ahead with their
attacks on various islands in the
Mediterranean Sicily, perhaps
Crete and other Greek islands-ne
made up his mind to strike with all
his might at Russia in final des-
perate attempt to cut off Moscow
from the south.
Russians Well Equipped.
This move has been anticipated.
Lease-lend supplies have been
rushed to the aid of Stalin's forces
in large quantity. The Russians
are better prepared than they have
been in any previous year to with
stand the new offensive. But al
ready the Nazis have made sub
stantial gains and we may be in
for some anxious weeks ahead. Ine
crisis of the war may conceivably
come with the fighting in Russia
TINS summer.
Hitler will not need to divert any
large number of divisions to take
care of the cleanup" operations
which the Allies are to undertake
this year. @The so-called invasion"
of the continent of Europe or sec
ond front" is apparently not going
to materialize, though the headlines
about landings in Sicily are also
called "invasions" and give rise
to false hopes, when, as a matter
of fact, any large land operations on
the continent of Europe are no
where IN sight except on the plains
OF Russia. There alone Is the big
clash of armies versus armies and
tanks versus tanks.
1.-The one big strategic help that
the Allies may be able to give can
come through air power. Not only
In the raids on industrial Ger
many but in the launching of new
raids on points in Southern Europe,
perhaps from new bases to be ac-
uuired in Sicily and other Mediter-
ranean islands, there will come such
a furious "air invasion" as to cause
Hitler to bring back from the Rus
sian front the fighter planes he
will need to protect his nome ter
rHory.
Months of Fighting Ahead.
The Russians then may be able
by the synchronized use OF air.
planes with ground forces to harass
the German divisions to such
point as to bring about their dis
organization and defeat. Air power
may play bigger part in dlvertlng
Nazi fighting power from the Rus
San front in 1943 than our land
operations in Southern Europe.
h'But it all adds up to a longer war
than the general public thinks is
coming. 1t takes time to clean
up" the diterranean-maybe an
other six to nine months. Then it
takes time to rearm the people of
Yugoslavia and Greece and to
reach up into Rumania and Bull
garla. Maybe by 1914 we Will have
a firm foothold in the Balkans and
relieve Russia of the impact of any
more German offensives, and maybe,
when we have established second
front" in the Balkans, Turkey will
JON us, and then the big push into
Northern France can be launched.
But it all depends on Russia and
IT would be conservative to ngure