The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-12-31
Interpreting
The War
By kIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press War 49,,

old year. s' me
This New Years eve weeJ 49,,
they are sounding the kneII ~ v s'a
Germany in a fashion that va,
warrants predictions orgar;- sn
warfare in Europe will hsye . "a
ed in a total German defeat WIN,
in another twelve months ''''
Only week 60 on Cbristro. ,
eve doubt fingered, not as 10 Wa f1,,a'
ed Nations victory, but as IN ~.
time it would take TO acbio,.. '',s
A resurgent Nazi power attaci. ~ 1t.
the west which bored deen i'm n
American lines in BELGIUM ~. y
stalled Russian front in Po1sra =,
and a slowed Red Army siege -.
Budapest had upset Allied csIo,,. u
tons of the time it might 10 :a
to finish the Job. ''Ne
Within the last seven daye b.n,
ever, there have been drss S%
changes in the military slwa,iar
IN Hungary and in Belgium. T5sy
have set the victory clocks NJ . ~.
Allies ticking again, tolling off t ,,'s
hours OF the dying old Year and M,
recording the birth of l945, anu
AS the old year ends the M;
master bid to avert or DELAY ia.
feat in the west has passed IL,
crest. The boldly planned and
skillfully executed winter countoT,
attack between the Roer and Mas.
ellie is American held. The Belpis,
bulge is shrinking, not expandrg
as the foe pulls back most ey
posed elements under rising nrsc.
sure Of concerted Allied co1r,s.
thrusts.
There is small prospect that Inc
Nazis can ever regain the injtia.
tive and momentum in a major
way. Paris reports that a German
retreat into the Siegfried line de-.
lenses had been ordered lacked
confirmation. Even if true it would
not end the threat of German Of.
fensive maneuvers or mean a Nazi
flight in rout from Belgium.
Counter-attack to effect ORDERLY
disengagement of large forces for
planned Withdrawals is the ACCEPT.
ed military technique in seeking
escape without disaster from IN,
tenable positions. German mill.
tary professionals have time and
again proved on all fronts their
mastery Of that art Of minimizing
losses in forced retreats.
That they fully sense the deep.
ening danger in which they stard
in Belgium is obvious even il the
method they adopt to avert crit
Iical disas err there is not as yet
disclosed. They cannot doubt that
General Eisenhower's abandon.
ment OF the Saar basin offensive
Ito summon Patton's hard charg,
ling Third Army to the battle Of
movement in Luxembourg and
Belgium was dictated by more
than defensive necessities.
1t is primarily offensive in CHAR
acter, that broad-fronted Amegi'
can move up through the Saggmg
southern flank Of the Nazi Belgian
bulge. Patton's troops are on the
cutting edge of the potential trap
in which the enemy has rlsked
the floker of mis- army in the west
If he escapes, the war there may
drag on for many bloody months,
but if he is shared it could be
the beginning OF the end for NaA
Germany.
In Hungary within the Christ
mas-New Year week the Russians
scored heavily also. Street fight
ing within Budapest presaged the
early fall of that powerful outer
rampant guarding the approaches
to Vienna and the Danube gap BE-
tween the Alps and the Carpath'
ans that leads into the heart OF
Maitland from the south.
Even more ominous for the foe
was simultaneous Russian ad-
vance toward that gap on both
sides Of the Danube northwest Of
Budapest.
Into that menacing Red Army
twin advance up the Danube soon
can be thrown also the heavE
forces released from the Budapest
siege ring. Russian capture OF the
city is too clearly foreshado"ea
to be in doubt. The battle IS roll
ing almost as close to Berlin rom
the south as it has so long S!ooo
from the west in Holland and Ger
many itself and from the east III
Poland.
The war in Europe may nave
to ONE extent distracted nun.
front attention from events acIos'
the Pacific.
However. ominous for Japan nas
been General Macarthur success
so far in the central PhlHpPlnss
there still is far to go to oflns
Japan to the same plight as aIa i
in which her Nazi fellow cii"-
nails stand in Europe. 80 -.
Distances in the Pacific sun a,t
long ahead, however, ana gIO y.as
longer over communication ll.I,
to the rear as the American o.
tack presses forward n.;.isb
The I'll innate role that BF. +sot
empire forces are to play , IN Chi cia.
conflict, the place resurgen' U tsr
nese forces may hold III !ne NJ 10
flung mpaig n shaplAs NV
against Japan, what Russia a t+r
do there as well as IN me Fl.
battle clutch with Germany H
rope are all impondera0le5 l a4ior d
Thev make any time predictl04. ~,