The Wilmington morning star., 1944-11-19
Interpreting
The War
BY KlRKE l.. SIMPSON
Associated Press W,r w.,

The r,;d MS ieSS war Analyst
found a heavy Allied st+scI. 'G mat
ing against Germany's last I ar. peat
ae1enses IN western Europe ~s.
less tense with expectancv was y, no
where on global war fronts else
The pattern of the war
both the Nazis and the Nip nsslnH
was being reshaped in battle g torss
whlte-hot with action at tho ' t;1;
Ing fronts. Behind them wer as u.
m naal Il, signs that at no dis,. .s'
date the two conflicts migb rlS .t
into a single struggle with - pr ,ue
against Japan also. -'0SNa
The master event of N.
however, was the loosine bv week e
eral Eisenhower of al least ,i wen |,
his Allied armies in a massive s@ 4 q
ter campaign to break tbronuE S'o'
the Rhine and beyond From 81 ~ 70
ar, slo,o ~" ~ iioi.dhd 10 the north,
! slopes OF the Swiss Alps, Br t,'
lsh, American and French tr Da.''
We're driving forward on tras.
nearly 400 miles wide ''0D!
Test Nazis' Ability
Concentrated Allied battle
aground and in the air v,a. pVNe
thrown into the attack tba+ VAL
clearly straining German abjGtv way ~
meet it even from fixed tortifio. :.
lions and skillfully placed and \.
signed field works.
News from Britain and Fr,n.
reflected Allied staff belief thst N IN.
could prove to be the last grs. 80.
pitched battle in the west Of tS.
war in Europe. German canacit IT.,
Tor organized resistance along n.
whole front was being put 10 ~. ~.
ultimate strain, whatever might i,
beyond break-through.
That the foe could long end,r.
such pressure without bringing IN
heavy reserves available opl, from
other fronts in the east. - south.
east and the south was al MI I'M
believable. And nowhere along N.
European battle perimeter va,
there a dormant sector except on
the Vistula in Poland.
That may be the crux ~ n,
Russian-Allied master plan OF A..
ton at this stage. The Vistula cor.
ridor that leads direct to Berlin
from the east is the crucial secto,
! of that front. Sweeping as have
been Russian advances to invest
Budapest and threaten Vienna l.
the southeast and deeply to invade
East Prussia in the northeast, tbs
prime value of those far.separatsi
thanking operations has been the
effect in paving the way for arr
sian break-through blow on the V
lula in the center.
Aside from its deadly threat
disintegrate the Nazi Rhinela
"West WALL and carry the wat
wholly onto German soil, the Allied
attack in the west may be serving
to complement Russian prepare.
tons for decisive action on the Wis.
tula. Any weakening OF German
forces around Warsaw to provide
reinforcements for the west front.
would Immediately invite Rec
army mass assaults in that secto
barely 300 miles from Berlin.
Similarly, any combing Of IL
Nazi front in Italy for west troI
reinforcements must see all Itai
to the Alps soon lost to German
Any scaling down of forces alread
lettering under Russian blows
defense of Budapest and the a
proaches to Vienna likewise mi
see the Austrian backdoor to G.
many forced open.
Japan is being forced into har
less onninous a position even WIN
out the broad hints from Mos VI
that Russia may join the A u
march against her. The china
the battle of Leyte is near ha
Much as would remain to be dots
to clear the Philippines Of Nippe'
nese invaders ultimate possession
of the islands could no longer Be
in doubt.
There are already hints that ToA
20 is prepared to see them torn Of
Japan's grip and is merely fighting
a delaying action there to cover
preparations for a final stand on
the Chinese mainland and the !"
lands of Japan themselves.
-V----
nIIONKrCr nlAInITc