Evening star., 1943-10-28
The German Crisis

crisis-that on the Russian and
on the home front. Each succeed
ing Berlin communique becomes
gloomier in tone regarding the
stupendous battle now raging from
the middle Dnieper to the shores of
the Sea of Azov. BY it's own admis-
sion, "a large withdrawal move
ment" is taking place, this being
euphemism for general retreat.
Indeed, Berlin states that the Ger
man armies are being hammered as
far north as the Smolensk region,
about which Moscow has nothing to
say.
Moscow does, however, sctfr at
previous Berlin claims of a planned
retirement. Instead, the Moscow
correspondent of the Associated
Press states that the German high
command is throwing in its strategic
reserves and is even rushing troops,
armor and planes not only from
Germany but even from France and
Italy in a desperate attempt to
stave of impending disaster.
Apparently the Germans are
launching a series Of fierce counter
attacks, spearheaded by armor, at
the western side of the big Russian
salient across the Dnieper, whose
tip is almost at the vital rail juno
ton of Krivoi Rog. This salient Is
now nearly seventy miles deep with
an average width of some forty
miles. The eastern anchor of the
salient, along the Dnieper, has been
effectively widened and strength
ened by the capture of the city Of
Dniepropetrovsk, but no similar
widening has occurred on the western
base below Kremenchug. The OBJ
vious aim of the German counter
attack is to threaten the Russian
salient from this side and thus
compel an easing up of the Red
drive towards Krivoi Rog. However,
Moscow claims that these attacks
are being repelled with heavy losses
to the Germans. But even should
the Germans gain local successes
there, it would not alter the overall
strategic picture, which is one of
general German retreat out Of vir-
tually all Southern Russia. Soviet
air reconnaissance reports every
railroad and highway jammed with
retreating German supply trains
headed westward, carrying away
whatever Of their accumulated
stores and equipment can be saved.
Meanwhile it is highly interesting
to note that German propaganda
not only permits but actually en-
courages NaZi war correspondents
on the eastern front to expatiate on
the might Of the Russian war ma
chine and grim possibilities of fur
ther German reverSeS.. The same
tone is taken by Spanish and other
pro-Axis newspaper correspondents
in Berlin, who descant dolefully on
the unending Red masses of troops
and limitless equipment which has
rendered Germany "an inferior bel
ligerent" in that war theater. The
general effect of all this is a de-
liberate Nazi build-up of the Red
Army as a giant, perhaps still un-
aware of its own strength.
This is certainly stiff medicine for
a German public whose morale
seems to be hitting new low under
the combined impact of bad news
from the war fronts, intensive bat
terings from the air, and the ap-
proach of the fifth war winter with
all its privations. Yet DR.. Goebbels
and his clever henchmen know
their people and never adopt new
propaganda line without what
seems to them to be a good reason.
The most likely explanation appears
to be an intensification of German
fears of Russian vengeance upon the
German homeland, combined with
sharpening dread of the "Bolshevist
menace" among anti Communist cir
cles throughout satellite and neu-
trail countries in Europe.
Such deliberately alarmist propa-
ganda would appear to risk the pos
sibility of a collapse in the already
strained morale of the German
people. Yet the military situation
may have become so grave that the
risk must be taken in the expecta-
ton of calling forth the last reserves
of popular energy through sheer
despair and terror at the conse-
quences of defeat and capitulation.
The Gestapo has instituted Corpo-
raj Punishment for Germans ex-
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