The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-01-18
Washington Shocked BY
Russian Accusation of
British, Maxi Meeting
I ank Battles
on Soviet
Front
CBy Intsrn,tlonai Nsws Service,

a shocked ana bcVlldered Dip
Tomato Washington feared today
! that Anglo American political rels.
tions with Russia are entering
troubled waters.
Moscow vas seen rocking the
boat OF Allied unity by the follow
Ing two startling moves.
/. Its action in Indirectly aceIs-
Ing Great Britain OF discussing a
separate peace with Germany.
2. Its rejection OF the Polish gov.
ernment's proposal 10 have the
United States and Great Britain
act Sas mediators In a negotiated
settlement OF the boundary dis.
pCte between Poland and Russia.
Chief apprehension In Washing
ton conferred around Moscows &C
! cusation against Great Britain. OF.
fetal sources were not only frank
ly puzzled but deeply concerned
at the motive behind Prayda's &C.
ton in publishing an alleged ru-
NOR from Cairo that British rep
| tesentatlveB had conferred with
German Foreign Minister Joachim
Won Ribbentrop concerning the pos.
ability OF a separate peace with
| Germany.
Among the diplomatic and off.
| cial "guesses' as 10 what prom pit
ed the Soviet move were the fol.
lowing:
!. a warning TO Great Britain
and the United states against any
deal with the Germans to occupy
Germany while the Nail armies
hold the Soviet forces at bay on
the eastern front. There have
been persistent reports In Sweden
and other neutral countries thar
the Germans might decide TO let
the Anglo.AmerIcan armies occu-
by Germany before the Russians
get there in the hope they would
be saved from Soviet reprlsals.
The possibility was seen that Mos.
spw may be fearful something
| might develop along this line and
that Russia would be denied the
opportunity OF participating in the
occupation OF Germany.
2. A Soviet slap at the British
for giving counsel 10 the Polish
government in London, with whom
Russia refuses to resume diplomat
ic relations.
J. Preparation for some move
which the Soviet government may
have in mind and which may prove
disagreeable to Britain, such as
the establishment OF a puppet re-
gime in Poland.
Whatever the motive, Washing
ton generally felt the Prayda move
was intended in part. at least. to
make the Russian people suspic-
ious Of the British.
Meanwhile, the American gov
eminent was awaiting reply
from Moscow 10 its offer to use its
good offices In getting the So
VETS and the Poles back on speak
ing terms. In view Of the Soviet
rejection OF the Polish proposal.
Il was feared the American offer
may prove abortive.
dHN paNh'No
In the meantime, violent tank bat
ties. probably unsurpassed in the
entire Russo-German war. ragged
today along the Bug River as the
lNazis hurled all available forces
against the Red Army TO stop II be-
fore their garrisons weer trapped
In Lower Russia.
Most feroclous actions took place
in the Uman area where a spear
head OF Gen. Nikolai yatutin's first
Ukrainian army sought to break
through to the Romanian border
and the key Odessa-Lvov railroad.
Severance OF this line would cut
off the principal escape route for
German troops in the Crimea, Big
Dnieper Bend area, and on the No
gals steppe.
Dispatches from the battlefront
said that the Nazis were hurting
countless counter-attacks against
the Russian offensive, but each en-
envy thrust was repulsed at heavy
cost 10 the Germans. One such re-
port said entire German units were
being torn to'pieces' as they bat
tered ineffectiyely against the So
Wet forward wall.
From the Swedish telegraph bur-
eau came a dispatch which said
the Russians farther to the north
we're pressing strong offensive in
the Vitebsk area OF White Russia.
There, the Red army was reported
hurting thousands Of planes daily"
against the Nazis, while on the
ground hundreds OF tanks. and
masses" OF infantry attacked at
/ one time.
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