Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-12-15
NEWS
BEHIND
The News
BY Paul
MaIIon

WASHINGTON Dec. l5'-Ger-
W man ability to maintain
herself lately, and even fight
back from her hopeless positions
on the constant brink of disas-
ter, has disturbed some set cal
culatlons of the war.
Her counterattackS in Russia,
especially IN front OF kieV, have
shown strong power in tanks
and artillery, but the types OF
these weapons employed show
they were saved from easier
German days when production
was above need. Not many new
type weapons were in evidence.
So the Nazis are digging into
their last stores.
The Russians thought II
strange when they captured
Kiev that so few buildings IN
the center of the town had been
demolished by the retroating
Germans. Only the industrial
works on the outskirts bad been
wrecked with customary thor
oughneSs.
NOV they know the Germans
" had even then planned this
counterattack to be launched
when Rcd fury was spent, and
intended to occupy the buildings
this winter themselves.
II looks as if the Russians
will hold all these counterat-
tackS to limited detectives and
fly again into forward acton
as soon as the Nazi strokes
Wane.
This conclusion must be tenn
pered by the fact that a genuine
agreement for synChronlzatlon
of military actions was reached
at Teheran by the Russians,
British and American military
mon whatever were the results
Of the meeting in nonmllliary
lines.
Russian blows. therefore, may
he restrained 10 match with
our new invasion Berlin radio
says there will he no Russian
winter offensive until we are
ready to invade, and It might
possibly he right.
But il is in German resistance
10 our air bomblngS that the
somewhat altered military view
point is more apparent Amerl-
can air generals who were
saving six months that Germany
could he beaten by bombing
alone and have been trying their
excellent best 10 do II since
thrn now are talking OF weak
ening her so much from the air
as 10 make invasion easier tGen.
Arnolds remarks in Italy Gen.
Lemav's interview al san Fran
cisco, Saturday,.
OUR accounts OF these bomb
" ings give up . warped OK
pectatlon o. then dooiSiyeneSs.
Se,enteen Nazl cities have been
destroyed six more can be with
ore moro large scale attack
thousand plane raid, 100
tons Of bombs dropped per
square mile per hour what
then is holding Germany up?
You can find the answer in
accounts Of Swedish travellers 10
Berlin who woaihcred the
bombinCS and came 70 Stock
holm When the raiders come.
tho Germans seek shelter The
raids seldom last more than an
hour or two.
Buildings arc DESTROYED say
1000 persons killed but. in a
city Of several million peonle
spread over - square miles or
more the effect is not destuIc-
tive Of city life indeed some
times is hardly known 10 most
residents The bulH nj tho peo-
pie mercly come up for air and
20 10 bed.
II WE have GOOD luck in pre-
Il ciSion bonhirg Of war
plant. We NAV ret so per cent
destruction with bad luck We
viii DESTROY only 20 nor cent.
The average is somewhere be-
tween.
In month tho plant We
claim as DESTROYED AGAIN NAV
be functioninC. That is why We
lot IN now and then allowing
the Germans 10 start restora-
tion before we 60 in again.
Then, too some mon like
William Shirer an excellent
authority on Germany. placed
too much confidence in the be-
lief that inasmuch aS Germans
had been promised immunitv
from bombing thev would wilt
or overthrow their leaders when
they got taste Of H.
In truth, the honbingS may
have made the Germans more
rcSolutelv angry. as was the
effect Of bombingS in London
and earlier in Spain.
NOW do not misunderstood
mo. Bombing strategy has
proved itself outstanding now
warfare has hindored trans
toci.f q ion and rnt.nrlncffcr, "a m