The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-01-02
Interpreting
The War
By KIRKE L. SIMPSON
Press War Analyst

Associated Press war Analyst
The war in Europe turns into
the new year under barrage of
victory in 1944' forecasts by
American high command spokes.
men.
The chief >ources, Admiral King
and General Eisenhower, dispel
the notion that war-cf-nerves prop
uganda motives had anything to
do with those optimistic year-end
outgivings.
That both men based their re.
marks on knowledge of coming
military events in Europe, not upon
vague hopes of an impending in
teral collapse III Germany, goes
without saying. And they know all
there is to know about now inter
locked Russian Allied war plans
for 1914.
Both participated in the Teheran
war councils. Neither publicly
committed himself to an estimate
of how long The war might last
in any theater. Both are profess
SIGNALS, utter realists. in estimat-
ing military situations.
Even lay1nan in the science
of war could discern that the
known factors in the European mil
itary equation at the year end tend
ed to justify 1914 victory expec-
tations The Nazi plight in Russia
was growing more desperate hour
by hour Soviet troops held the
initiative along the whole 1900
mile front from the Baltic to the
Black seq. They had forged 200
mile arc west Of Kiev to create
one of the most gigantic military
traps ever conceived.
The plain interference was that
King and Eisenhower had fore
knowledge of Russian plans to
force the great break-through to-
ward the Polish and Rumanian
borders that is on the verge Of
engulfing from a third to half
of all Nazi troops in Russia. That
the critical developme nts for the
common enemy ir west central
Russia--and barely within Russia
now at ihat-Were forecast by the
Russians at Teheren cannot be
doubted
Product of Talks
In effect the wide gap being cut
through routed MAJ. armies from
Korosten to kazatin must be a
first product of joint Russian-Al-
lied military undertakings at Tehe-
ran. Commitments exchanged
there as to the scope, direction
and timing OF Anglo American
matching attacks in progress and
to come from the south and west
probably had .nuch tn do with de-
velopmens in the Kiev bulge.
Without the solemn Allied pledg
es unquestionably' gwen at Tehe
ran fixing both the size of the
west front invasion effort and the
date of it's launching. it is ques
tionable that the Russians, ever
with their great asset of manpoW
er superiority, would have dared
risk the massing OIL reserves il
the Kiev tulge that has made pos
sible the great break-through tina
: threatens extinction Of a substan
tial part OF the Nazi army in Rus
STA, or at a minimum, NaZi re
treat from all Russia.
Moscow knows what to expec
of the Anglo American armies il
the west and south now and Whel
to expect it. That knowledge JUS
titles the risks of striking all-ou
for high stakes in the thunderini
drive to slash apart the German
lines in Russia.
German reports that the Allie,
west front invasion drive is to b
launched WITHIN the next tw
: weeks are of no Importance ex
cept that they clearly indicate tn
increasing tension in Germany
They reflect growing Apprehension
: that Nazi armies iL the west ar
> to be locked in death struggl
with Anglo-Americar forces befor
it has been possible to stabiliz
> the east front on prepared an