Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-09-24
Reds Victories
Raise Hopes Of
Cracking Line
BY PAUL MALLON

M oilAAFO DAff ~ P's
w The steady. relentless Rus
sian pressure has been inchlng
forward 10 threaten the eX-
pected German winter line, at
least on the southern tip.
There, AZ the vital Nazi held
railroad running through Meli-
topol into the Crmes the Nazis
had prepared 10 make a des-
perate stand. In no other way
could they hold their Black Sea
island fortress, as the railroad
is the only means of transport
tation except by boat with
which 10 supply the crlmea.
But this is the extent Of the
threat so far, 10 break through
what popularity, but not very
accurately, has been called the
Dneiper River line. Actually.
the curving Dnicper River runs
considerably behind the Melito-
pol line, and. of course the
river does not extend anywhere
near the Baltic in the north
But If the Russians arc able
10 force a withdrawal from the
entire Crlmca. they viii have
won an unexpected victory all
though the Germans may still
be in front of the pnIeper
River at that point.
UNOFFICIAL gueSSos have
~ been current IN, Washington
lately that the Reds might be
expected 10 crack through the
prepared Dnlepcr position at
kiev or elsewhere generally
and bring an early conclusion
20 the war on that front.
Any one sstit-r GA tif4t
seems 10 be as good as an
others. No one here. or any
where else, has been very good
al Judging the real extent Of
Russian prospects m advance.
Absence Of any mention Of
Df lNIiitlN lff.4lik idttf.li WI fAAilfA
SIDE IN the C0TmUUIQUe U7s
inspired o m Q Interpretation
that the Russians arc cutting
the Germans 20 pieces and those
VINO h1iri ttrrat vtc* expect an
early conclusion
But the lack Of prisoners may
be due 10 the fact that the NaziS
have not been trapped IN large
quantities Of late. and have not
been able 10 establish any for
ward movement of their own
which would enable them 10
take Russians
Neither side has signed the
Geneva Convention on The treat
nent OF prs oners. and thus
neither has given any guaran-
tee that the regular procedure
OF incarCeraung them Viii he
followed IN preference 20 the
mercileSs method Of showing no
quarter
THE Germans have complained
i frequently about Russian
harbsTlaniSm and say aCcry and
this led some interpreters 10
believe the NalIS might we'll
prefer 70 welcome the British
and American armies into Berlin
before The Russians
Put II is also true that NaZi
methods are closer 10 the Rus
sian methods than 20 those Of
the denocraciss. and their GUS
tomary game is TO play enemies
against each other.
In the end OF course. wisdom
should cause them TO seek peace
with VS. first for the protection
OF their people But they know
We have an understanding with
Russia which promises that none
Of the Allies VIII make a sepa-
rate peace.
An OBSTACLE TO the Rus
~ sian advance is the rainy
season now starting. a Slushy
period, difficult for full scale
action, VIII precede the freeze.
No symptoms Of utter de-
morali2ation have been appar-
ent in Nazi retreat 4 very
strong action was fought by the
Germans m retiring from khar-
kov toward the Dnlcpcr. even
At Kiev. In The north around
SmolenSk they have been hold
ing strong.