Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-08
No Time for WishfuIness

,
Marshall's and Mr.. Byrnes' visit to
Paris has naturally not been an
nounced, but when our Army Chief
of STAFF and the director of our
war mobilization choose this par
ticular time to fly such q distance
to confer with General Eisenhower,
supreme commander of Allied
forces in Western Europe, it may
reasonably be assumed that their
mission involves highly significant
matters.
Looked at optimistically, the event
may be interpreted as signifying
that final plans are being made for
gigantic assault calculated to
knock out Germany before the end
of the year-a prospect which was
taken more or less for granted by
most OF us only few weeks ago.
On the other hand, however, the
Paris conference may well mean
that the time for all such wishful-
ness is past and that our Allied
command is preparing for a war
which the Nazis may be able to
prolong until next spring or even
next summer. T
Words Of warning on this score
have recently been coming from
many quarters, notably from Prime
Minister Churchill, whose latest re-
marks on the subject grimly suggest
that "a great deal of blood is going
to be shed in the next few months,
Neither Mr.. Churchill nor any other
authority, of course, rules out the
possibility of a sudden German COL
lapse before the new year, but every
one in an informed position now
appears to be on guard against over
hopeful expectations. The fact is
that accounts from the western
front uniformly indicate that the
enemy, despite the fundamental
hopelessness of his situation, is de-
termined to wage savage defensive
battle over every inch Of German
soil, and clear evidence OF this is
being encountered today by Cen
eral Patton's Third Army troops at
Fort Driant, General Hodges First
Army spearheads seeking to break
into the open country against
Cologne, and all other Allied forces
on the firing line from Holland
southwark o'the Belfort Gap.
Among the factors helpful to the
Nazis in their attempt to prolong
the war are the weather and our
supply problem. At this time of
year the present battle, area is Wis
tied by rain about sixteen days out
Of every month, which means that.
besides having mud to contend
with, our ground forces cannot
count upon steady air support. AS
for supplies, our Allied lines are now
extended hundreds of miles from
their starting points, and this fact,
taken together with our limited port
facilities, poses logistical task Of
the first magnitude. The German
troops, moreover, even though
large numbers of them are described
as inferior, and though there is no
substantial reserve behind them,
are fighting on the soil Of their
homeland, grim reality which
lends to their efforts more than a
small degree Of fanaticism.
With such advantages on their
side, the Nazis conceivably may be
able to keep fighting for several
months more, spurred on by their
desperation and by the hope that
there may be some eleventh-hour
split among the Allies and that per-
haps enough time might be won for
them to use their Secret" weapons
effectively. Undoubtedly our Allied
forces, east and west, are more than
sufficient to crush them totally, but
there is by no means any certainty
about how long that task will take.
We may pray for an early ending,
and it may come, but prudence de-
mands that we be prepared for
another long and bitter winter of
war in Europe.