Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-13
General Mud
Still Directs
War in Russia
Eozg++er7 Front However
Is Drying u . Fast
BY PAUL MALLON

By PAl l. MALLON
WASHINGTON, May l. Mud,
w more than exhaustion. is
still holding back both sides in
Russia
Vet n is only a matter OF days
now until the Reds and NaziS
VIII be a their respective threats
again on the eastern front The
ground on tho central and north
crn fronts generally firms up
sufficiently for military opera
tons by the end of May or the
first Of June.
The southorn-tip bridgchcad
which Hitler has -porsiStcntly
maintained east Of the Kerch
Straits obviously has suggested
his spring or summer campaign
would be directed toward re-
tricying Caucasus oil. but per-
hapS too obviously. He tried for
that oil once and failed
The bridCehead does not actu-
ally eFd-iFHPertant rrftiftary
advantage for another blow in
that direction, as the bulk OF his
invading troops would have 10
come around the land route past
RoStOv IN any event.
Far more likely is il that Hit
Ter will strive 10 deliver a knock
out blow directly AZ the SoVietS.
II he could get Leningrad or
Moscow, for instance. hc coufd
not only retrieve lost prestige,
but strike at-the heart Of Soviet
military power.
The southern front and the
brldgehead. across the kerch
could be maintained 10 divert the
Russians from time to time and
prevent them from concentrating
all their strength 10 meet his eX-
pected blows in the north.
The southern front involves
great distances while A blow at
Eeningrad and Moscow would
require a much smaller concen-
tratlOn OF force.
INiE common assumption that
Franco was speaking for
Hitler in pleading for peace is
not necessarily so Hitler knows
very we'll he could not Get any
acceptable terms from any one
under existing conditions, and is
hardly so stupid as 10 ask.
But peace is essential 10
Franco Unless he can get one
based on something like the
existing status quo IN Europe,
he is going 10 have a nice, little
revolution on his hands And
he Will not get any help this
time. at least not on the scale
he obtained formerly from Hit
Ter, as der fuhrcr will need
everything he has and more. TO
meet his own forthcoming mill
tary obligations.
Franco, therefore, was prob
ably speaking for himself and
not very OOIlllutIllN ~.
TIE Nazi northern Tunisia
Il army surrendered $4,000
men to us About $4,000 more
were bottled on the Cap Bon
peninsula. Around 10000 Ger
mans and Italians surrendered
or met death after Rommels re-
treat from Tripoli up 10 the
final stages Of the drive,
So Hitler can be said 10 have
abandoned a tremendous army
Of 100000 or more men, leaving
them virtually without hope or
air cover, TO die or surrender
without even making bid 10
save them, although con-
tinuing opportunity existed for
weeks at and after Tripoli.
II IS clear Hitler left this
army to perish obviously in
order 10 buy time The deSpcr-
ate price he paid is proof enough
of the urgency of his need 10
perfect his defcnScS in Europe
against n second front
The enthusiasm OF most mill
tarv men at our great victory IS,
therefore, tempered by the
knowledge that Hitler, in defeat,
won a badly needed respite for
the next stage OF the fight
Estimates as 10 how long II
will take us TO clean up the
Mediterranean Corsica. Sar-
dina. Sicily and Crctcl run
anywhere from weeks 10 months.
Some commentators are even
saving that lIitlcr's last stand
in Africa delayed the institution
of a second front by SIN months
TO a year.
Such conclusions are not ac-
curatc The size of tho force We
landed in Africa last Nov > was
only enough TO overcome eN-
pcctcd vigorous French resist
ancc. 1t was not large enough
TO conquer TunlSia IN hurry II
the Germans determined to
make any show ot resistance
and they did. 10 the utmost
What happened therefore was
as much as We had reason 90
expect
/ TOHN / LEWIS, TAR from he
y Ing a chaStcncd young crrant
is chuckling and chortling TO