The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-10-09
Parallel Uprisings
By JOSEPH c. HARsCH

It would be impairment and rash for this
column to attempt to assess the merits Of
the current Russian-Polish controversy, par
ticularly after it has become charged with
the emotionaism generated by the tragedy
of Warsaw
After the final failure of the uprising and
the resulting allegations of betrayal by both
sides, it seems unlikely that anyone will ever
be able to discover the truth. Each side has
its sequences Of alleged fact which sustain
its contention and brand the opponent as hav-
ing caused the loss of many tens of thousands
Of lives for the sake of political advantage
But in seeking what might be available we
have encountered thesis which seems to us
more plausible than most others and which
we offer in no sense as proven or provable
fact but simply as one thesis which seems
to be worth recording.
This thesis begins with the military fact
that in July the Red armies were storning
westwards through Poland at fast and ex-
citing pace. They went so fast and so far
during July that the world including many
official German spokesman, saw nothing
which was going to be able to stop them in
front Of Berlin. This expectation was ap-
parently shared in Moscow. At least War
and the Working Classes predicted boldly
that Warsaw would be the first occupied capt.
tai to be liberated and the Moscow radio re-
peated1y spoke of the hour of liberation for
Poles being at hand.
Did the Russian High Command expect to
be able to thrust the advance across the Wis
lula and on to the German frontier in that
surge? It is plausible to assume that they
did. The advance did not stop at the Vistula.
Bridgeheads were pushed across along the
whole front, including the vicinity Of War
saw. But something went wrong. The advance
had outreached its supply lines. The Ger
mans reacted with energy. The bridgeheads
were wiped out and long stalemate settled
down the front in Poland. But before it
became apparent that it was a stalemate,
and while the Red Army was still trying to
establish itself across the Vistu1a the Pa
triots of Warsaw had risen and the battle had
been joined.
Had the Russian advance continued, there
would scarcely have been any controversy
over the rising. An advancing army well
comes the aid from behind the enemy lines
which eases the way to victory.
In some respects, what happened at War
saw might easily have happened and in fact
almost did happen in Paris. The rising of
the F. F. 1. was not ordered by the Allied
High Command. 1t was spontaneous and it
was. from the point Of view of headquarters,
prem ature The plan was to sweep wide
around Paris and force German abandon
ment from a distance to avoid fighting in that
citv and damage to it. But the French took
matters in their own hands and troops had
to be diverted from assigned tasks. to con-
sohdate the gains Of the resistance forces in
side the city. Getting regular formations
there was an improvised matter which did
upset the schedule Of operations.
Fortunately in France the advance con-
tnued. But supposng the advance had been
stopped short of Paris and the rising in the
city had been liquidated by the Germans
and the city had been heavily damaged in
the process Would there then have been re-
sentiment and recrimination between the
French and the British and ourselves?
put in that context, it is easier to see why