Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-11-23
THEWORLD
IN REVIEW
BY Maj. Gen.
D. P. Barrows

"a opinion appeared 10 nave
turned gloomy with respect TO
the early about offensive by the
armies under Gen. Eisenhower.
! expressed my own judgment
that the great co-ordinated at
tack of all the armies facing the
Rhineland would not be long de-
layed.
II would be an effort to rup-
ture the entire Siegfried Line
and destroy the German armies
before they could cross the
Rhine.
This concerted attac has
now begun.
Over the whole of a 400-mile
front. from the coast of Holland
10 the Belfort Gap. the Allied
armies are in movement. beat
ing their way forward toward
the final overthrow of Germany.
THE question which will be in
l. all our minds for many days
Is. can this great offensive sue
coed in destroying the German
armies b efore its impetus IS
halted?"
The most significant reply 10
this question lies in the will OF
the supreme command.
Early in this year. months be-
fore the landing in Normandy
was made. Gen. Eisenhower said
confidently h a Z the German
armies would he defeated before
the year ended.
He had said nothing 70 re-
tract or weaken that affirrna-
ton. II is not credible that he
would set this mighty battle
front in motion now unless he
were confident that il wou
succeed
A comparison OF the relative
strength OF tho two opposing
forces NAV provide the basis for
our expectations.
There is almost no official
data available. and any estl-
mates or judgments ss IN me
probable future developments
must be offered in all humility.
T OFFER here some sugges-
i tons in the hope that We
NAV better follow and under
stand this great battle AS ~
progresses.
The Germans were supposed
10 have in western Europe. FOR
the defense OF the Reich. some
SO divisions.
Ry scraping the barrel NJ
their man power. Incorporating
Youths. elderly men and the
military unfit. and also by
drawing in divisions from other
fronts, including their Polish
sector. they may have raised
30 divisions more.
The Allied armies attacking
them have superior strength as
they have superior quality, ana
while their number has not been
officially released. informed Oh
servers put their number at
million and half
The greatest tactical air at
tacks known In history have
been delivered ny the Allies as
preliminary 10 this assault,
and will continue as the battle
progresses.
We have superiority in srtil-
lery. The preparation of gun
fire in front of the Allies eX-
ceeded anything OF its kind IN
all history.
We have superiority IN ar
mored forces. Above all other
considerations there IS our tri-
umph of aggressive morale,
And. IN addition. Eisenhower
possesses the initiative.
He can throw in his reserve
strength Al any POINT where the
German defense is ruptured and
turn any success into a disaster
for the enemy
THIS brings up again the ques-
L ton Of EIsenhower's re-
serves.
For some time the American
Ninth Army was back of the
main front and seemed 10 con-
stitute our main organized re-
serve.
II has now been moved up as
front line combat element
north Of Aachen.
We may safely assume that
this means we now have other
strong. organized reserves, in
addition TO replacement pools.
which together may approx
mate a million men.
II is by such reserves that
the impetus of the assault can
be sustained. and the crumbling
of the enemy resistance and
the evidence of his weakness be
exploited.
We cannot Judge As yet
,,soaLoet .Aa,0V -