Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-07-26
REHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
Mallon


revolution are always open to
suspicious of exaggeration.
But you need 60 no farther
than the Russian front to know
the end is nigh. Germany's mill.
tary situation has become in
defensible in any substantial or
durable manner. The end should
be a matter of a few weeks. or
at the most months.
Perhaps the best indication
OF the actual condition Is a LETT
ter the Russians captured from
the pocket of Gen. Hoffmeister.
1t sounded like what German
tank general might well say and
is considered authentic.
Hoffmeister related how he
had been called all the way
back to Berlin from the fighting
front last May to hear a speech
by der fuehrer to assembled
eastern generals.
Hitler talked along in an easy
way, saying he and national
socialism had been in desperate
conditions before, that he had
always surmounted these trying
times, and he suggested with
polite but unmistakable innu.
endo that they read the history
OF national socialism and study
its Nazi application.
THE younger generals showed
some enthusiasm for this
line of talk. but the older gen.
erals asked where they would
get the soldiers, planes and
tanks to defend these words.
Hoffmeister complained OF
contrary orders later received.
first to withdraw. then to hold.
and OF the lack of reinforce
ments which finally caused his
tank group to be annihilated.
These same older generals are
the ones who led the revolt.
Since the middle of June the
Russian advance has been little
more than a march. Put no
trust in the planted Swiss re-
ports that none of the revolu-
tionary or dissenting generals
were on the eastern front.
BY far the greatest resent
ment against Hitler has been
evident on that line since Stall
ingrad. AT no point yet have
they been able 10 defend a line,
although ene was promised "a
stout. one. the Germans said)
runningfrom Riga to Odessa.
Odessa has long since gone
and Riga is outfianked, and
probably surrounded. The Nazis
just do not have the men and
materials for a real fighting eff
fort and the generals know IL
best.
II is possible now that the
Reds will run into some strong
defensive points around War
saw, but no other defense line
into Germany looks like any,
thing important. Talk of a
Vistula River line is as circuit
Gus as the river itself which
may offer natural defense.
due TO It's width in the south,
but the Russians are known TO
have made great concentrations
centerlng on that southern
front, particularly in the Lwow
area
WHAT we must look for next
Is pause In the Russian
machine TO bring up communi-
cation lines. That they have
gone as far and as fast as they
have without stopping for this
necessity Is truly remarkable.
But the pause is apt TO be
covered by switch in Russian
emphasis TO the Lwow area.
(The Nazis probably have re-
moved most of their 100000
men reported trapped in the
Baltic states by this time.)
In Normandy the same Nazi
weakness is evident. The slow.
fighting there lately has merely
represented our upbuilding of
strength for the push ahead.
While the Nazis have so divi-
sions in France and the low.
lands, they have been able to
present US with only "a on the
Normandy line. and obviously
are IN a situation where they
cannot build up much, else they
would have, in view of the time
allowed.
Only in Italy can they hope 10
hold out for long. There they
are retiring upon mountainous
short line tGothic) upon which
they once had 10000 Italian la.
borers at work preparing posi-
tions. and in all, spent al least
six months building positions
which could be defended by q
weak force.
The Pc River line behind that