Evening star., 1943-12-12

toas gathered from Uar CORE
spondents Uhose articles appear
frequently in The Star.)
Richard Mowrer writing from Cairo,
says: The war in Europe will end In
the early part of next summer, believe.
This is pretty much Of guess, OF course,
but it is based on the fact that unlike
the war in Asia, where Russia is still
not participant, there are no big
factors left to be dropped into the
scales, except the opening Of a second
front and the cracking of German
morale.
"At the least, the second front ought
to bust out as soon as spring weather
gets good enough for the Allies to
get the most they can from their air
superiority, because I believe it will
be air power in the main, which will
blast the Allies bridgehead into being.
Il think there will be a simultaneous
Russian spring offensive that will not
be intended to stop until 1t reaches
whatever is left of Berlin.
And considering things as they are
now in Germany, and as they probably
will be by the time spring rolls around,
I think it is likely that the Germans
will capitulate as soon as it is evident
that the Russians offensive, or the
Allies second front, or both, are we'll
under way and cannot be stopped
which ought to be about the time this
correspondent is supposed to 60 fish,
ing in Minnesota"
Must Smash Nazi Army.
From Moscow comes the opinion of
David M. Nichols who says: Il feel
that we often overlook or underestimate
the fact that the war cannot end
until the German Army is smashed.
This certainly has not yet been
achieved. The power Of its resistance
Is well attested by the strength of
its counterattacks on the Ukrainian
front and by the bitterness of the
ighting in Italy.
Bombing can contribute to weak
ening this in both the supply and
morale areas 1t can make the last
steps easier, but If the history Of this
war has demonstrated anything, it
would seem to be the impossibility of
defeating a determined continental
power solely by destroying its cities
or robblng it of even a large portion
OF its industrial strength.
In a full year of the bitterest fight
ing. marked by continuous successes in
which the Red Army has utilized the
full measure Of its resources in men and
materials alike, the Soviet Union has
recovered two-thirds of its occupied
territory but still faces the cruel task Of
regaining the most difficult third. AS a
matter OF simple geography. the area
the Red Army covered is about equal
to that which United Nations soldiers
must conquer before driving the Ger
mans back to their own boundaries on
the west
An armistice, perhaps, is possible. but
the unconditional surrender to which
the United Nations are pledged would
seem unlikely without actual invasion
Of the Reich.
Joint offensives from the east and
west undoubtedly will speed the rate OF
advance on either side. Add to this the
fact that the cycle Of German morale
appears to reach the lowest ebb with
the approach Of winter, and I should
| guess that the war in Europe might
end, at the earliest, late in 1944-about
a year from now"
Will Last Till Spring.
Helen Kirkpatrick in London declares
Such knowledge as I have of Germany
leads me to believe that the European
war will not end before the spring of
| 1914.
IF the Russian offensive maintains its
| present momentum and Allied forces in
the Mediterranean drive the Germans
into a corner OF Northern Italy, the
| foundation for defeat will have been
laid. Then, when powerful blows are
struck from the west, pressure from
three sides may be sufncient to achieve
real military victory.
Constant hammering of German in
dustry and transportation from the air,
with its auxiliary effect upon home
morale, is bound to curtail military
supplies and to lower the morale of
troops in the field. Nothing has hap
pened to alter the view of the in
dividual German that he and his coun-
try must stand or fall with the Nazis
and this will lead him to resist to the
bitter end. Therefore, it is my guess
that the war will end some time during
the summer of 1914"
Sees Autumn IS Earliest.
Paul Ghali in Bern hazards guess
asking: When will the war end?
Should one throw all discretion to
the winds. he might give the autumn
of 1914 as the hkeliest time-at least
insofar as Hitlers war is concerned
Judging by the present velocity of mil
itary operations. the Allied forces
| should by that time be thrusting we'll
into German territory from north, east
south and west.
"Of course, as Prime Minister
Churchill has said. anything may hap
pen. 1t would even not be too dumb
founding if, unaided, Soviet arms
should accomplish the defeat of the
Germans this winter. Again. the enemy
might surrender because of the COL
lapse Of the home 'front.'
| The latter possibility is difficult to
foresee, for now the much-feared Ges-
| tapo chief, Heinrich Himmler, as min
lister of the interior. is charged with
safeguarding the home front And
supported by fanatical youth, he is
suppressing the entire German nation.
True, there is tremendous amount