Evening star., 1944-04-03
Soviets Set UD
Headquarters
On Enemy Soil

The first Soviet military dis
patch of the war to Moscow from
foreign territory reported today
that the Red Army was march
ing into Eastern Rumania after
storming across the Prut River
established by agreement with
Rumania as the boundary in
1910.
Rumanian announcements indi-
Gated the Russians were to 10 miles
inside Rumania.
Numerous large and small Ru.
manlan villages have been captured
Red Army staffs already have fol.
lowed the advance guard across the
river and established headquarters
on Rumanian soil, the Soviet wal
correspondent, Boris Polevoy, said ir
telegram to the Moscow newspaper
Pravda which was captioned Across
the Border"
The local population was reported
giving the Red Army a good recep-
ton and already returning from hid
ing places to their homes.
Reds 10 Miles From Odessa,
AS the Russians moved across the
Prut, Moscow announced that other
Soviet forces had struck to within
19 miles of the great Black Sea port
OF Odessa, $50 miles to the southeast
Soviet Foreign Commissar Vyach-
eslaV MolotoV, in announcing the in
vaslon OF Rumania, said at Moscow
last night it was dictated by military
necessity and not with the aim of
seizing ANY part of Rumanian ter
rltory''-a statement that was warm
ly welcomed in official circles in
London.
The Russian communique failed tc
Identify the exact location of the
several announced crossings of the
Prut, but Berlin said the main Soviet
drive into Rumania was in the Iasj
(Jassy) sector. less than 200 miles
northeast OF Bucharest, and the
Polesti oil fields. Berlin added that
AL the Rumanian Army has joined
battle with the Russians" Martial
law already has been proclaimed in
Bucharest, Moscow dispatches re-
ported.
Key Railway Center.
lasi, apparent immediate obiec-
tive Of Marshal Ivan S. Konev's I'd
Ukrainian Army, is 10 miles west
OF the Prut, and is key Rumanian
railway center where lines branch
southWestward to Bucharest and
northwestward to captured Czerno-
Witz, 1l5 miles away. Gertsa, 20
miles southeast of CzernoWitz on
the North Rumanian border, was
taken by troops of Marshal Greg
ory K. Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Army
yesterday, Moscow said, and it was
believed likely that Soviet spear
heads also had crossed into Ru-
mania at this point.
A Rumanian high command COM
munique broadcast by the Berlin
radio and recorded in London bv
the Associated Press, acknowledged
the Red Army's drive into Rumania
proper, but said that north of IaSi
at almost every point the enemy
was pushed back over the Jiiia
River"
The Jijia, north Of Iasi. runs par
allel to the Prut miles to the west
and the Rumanian bulletin gave the
first indication that Konev'S troops
had advanced that far into Pu-
mania. The communique also de-
clared Russian thrustS toward the
1asi-Kishinev railway had been re-
pulsed by German troops, and that
no important event occurred in the
Crimea or on the Black Sea shore.
Heavy Axis Losses.
Meanwhile other divisions of Zhu-
kOV'S army swept nearer to the Car
pathian mountain passes leading in
to Hungary, int1iCting heavy losses
on Axis troops, taking many priS-
onerS and capturing enormous stores
of military booty, Moscow declared.
The important strongholds of
KuZOV and Kuty, 81 miles south
west of CzernoWitz and not far
from the famous Tartar Pass, fell to
ZhukOV'S troops and Berlin broad
casts indicated TarnOpol and KOvel
farther north in old Poland were
about to Capitulate to the Russians
MOlOtOV'S explanation of the drive
into Rumania was regarded in Lon
don as an obvious bid for that
country to desert the Axis. Belief
was expressed that his remuneration
of territorial claims would go a
long way to hasten Rumania'S exit
from the war. allaT the fears of
Hungary and harden Bulgaria
against Hitler's request for more
troops. The Soviet Foreign Com
missar indicated, however, that Rus
sia intended to keep Northern Blu
Covina and Bessarabia, which Ru-
mania Ceded to Moscow in 1910.
Odessa Reported Afre.
The fate of upward of 100000 Ger
mans and RumanianS in the Odessa
area hung in the balance as Gen
Rodion Y. Malinovsky's Sd Ukrain-
ian Army conVergcd on that great
Black Sea port, which field dis
patches to Moscow newspapers said
was burning fierCelV as the result of
German demOlitlOnS
Px.A1nfr NAI~AaH CL