Evening star., 1944-08-13
Hitler Ability to Reorganize
To Determine Wars Length
Replacing of Junkers by Fanatic Leaders Who Will
Fight at All Costs Last Card in Der
Fuehrer's Weakening Hand.
BvConsfanfine Br0wn

The question on the lips of millions of
Americans at home and on the battle
field today is: when will Germany be
knocked out of the WARP"
The soldiers in France and Italy have
found out from personal experience that
the Germans still have plenty of fight in
them. They know how many of their
= comrades have been killed or wounded
and, being in immediate contact with
the "Kraut," they think the road ahead
long and bloody. The home front, thou
sands of miles from where men are CIV
Ing their lives, and sheltered from the
devastating attacks of the Luftwaffe
which is not as dead as many people like
to believe, naturally takes a more op-
timistic view.
According to those in position to see
1t more clearly than either the men
IN the field or those at home, the truth
Is, we have entered an era of unpredict-
able conditions. 1t is impossible to di-
vorce the political situation existing in
the Reich today from the military &C
tions on the various battleflelds
If we are to analyze the military situ-
alton from the strictly technical angle,
the Germans still are capable of a
fierce battle. They have lost much
ground in Normandy and Brittany.
First Line of Defense.
The Allies are marching toward Paris.
But both Eastern France and even Paris
are nothing but first line of defense.
There are still some strong Notifications
between the Allies present location and
the Rhine. Out Of the original so Ger
man divisions-the troops who have
been rushed from the eastern to the
western front in the last six weeks are
not included in this f1gure-a maximum
OF Is divisions have been knocked out
so far.
If we were to add the divisions from
the eastern front and units which are
now being withdrawn from Southern
France to the north we must estimate
the German force at between 100000
and 100000 men. Our field commanders
say material at the disposal of these
forces still is of the highest quality, and
while the German high command has
proved inferior to what We expected
when we first landed in Normandy, unit
commanders still are handling their
troops with skill and determination,
In Italy We have heavy battle on our
hands. The Germans have constructed
strong defensive line from Pisa to
Rlmlni where natural positions are aid
ed by some 600 forts, pillboxes and other
modern devices A determined enemy
can hold us back for an even longer
period than they did at Casino.
Resistance Stiffens in East.
In the East, where the Russians have
advanced with unbelievable rapidity
German resistance appears to be stiff
fening. East Prussia is guarded by the
1nsterborg-Koenigsberg line Notifications
which, according to technicians who had
inspected them before 1899. are even
stronger than the West Wall guarding
the approaches to the Reich across the
Rhine. In the southern sector of the
eastern front the Russians, after having
occupied important Polish Notifications.
have reached the foot of the Carpathian
Mountains. Crossing the Carpathians
will be a difficult proposition if the
troops guarding the approaches to the
Hungarian plains are willing to fight.
In spite of the severe losses suffered bv
the Nazis in these areas their strength
together with that of the Hungarians-
amounts to more than 1000 900 men.
Such force, behind strong defensive
positions, could hold out for manv
months, Hence. according to strictly
technical appraisal of the military situ-
alton, If everything goes we'll for the
Allies the war in Europe could continue
at least until the end of this year and
possibly longer.
Washington observers say the internal
situation of the Reich is the determin-
ing factor of the equation.
The coup d'etat of July 20, which was
intended to wipe out Hitler, was clumsy.
It's authors did not take the necessary
chances and overlooked the fact that a
time bomb is very uncertain thing. 1t
may kill some one who is so yards from
the point of explosion while the men
close to it may escape unscathed. Hitler
escaped. He was looking for chance to
purge the Junkers and the generals edu-
Gated In the spirit of the old German
Army. He did not dare apply thorough
purge because many of these members
OF the German aristocracy had proved
themselves in the field and were hon.
ored and respected by the rank and file
of the army.
Respect for Upper Glasses.
The Naziflcation of the German
Reichswehr was not possible until the
Fuehrer and his cohorts could prove
eonclusively that these men were traitors
to their country and disloyal subjects of
the Fuehrer to whom they pledged al
leglance. The most fanatical followers of
the social democratic doctrine are the
common men," Unless they could be
shown without the shadow of a doubt
that they were being betrayed by the
hitherto privileged classes it was diff
cult to demonstrate to the German lower
classes, who have an inborn respect for
their nobility, that this nobility was
treacherous. Had the July 20 coup been
successful there is no question that the
history Of the war Of Europe would have
been changed.
There were three powerful groups in
Germany after Hitler plunged the world
into war. The old line Nazis leaned
toward the Communist doctrines rather
than the modernized version of capital
ism introduced in the Reich.