The Wilmington morning star., 1945-02-04

The War
By kIRKE L. SIMPSON
Associated Press War A.,

'"'oo freSS War Anal,
Events in Europe and ASH
rushing toward a c-rsis The s'i E9A
airy week end fos both o. so''
the crumbling Nazi Nin s,a D.
Axis fellowship at a pace ''+ +ssa
terly defied any accurate f tra u
of the duration of Tie war w
er theater. Ii sltt
In Germany Russian od
lunging to 0 rbeyond The od o1aA
er inner lifeline OF the ta,+,l In
Reich had brought Berlin y,r ~saI
under seige. while across tho ,'l n
fic on Pivotal Luzon Ar,e+ 'l'
troops had all but retrieved ' ,y
la and Manila Bay from The ~ ,a-'
ened grip of japanese jnysS' s'S
That these Two DEVELOPMENT,
You'd the widest flight Of opt ont,
tic fancy only three week. '''-S
had Topped months off the n.y. ~
able duration of either way o o..Y
not be doubted They forroas WIN "
background for rumors frorr
don and many other Europesn ,', ~.
tiers that the big three Of the rr W.
ed Nations fellowship-Churs,~r'
Roosevelt and Stalin-werp sr. ,'
in session somewhere or con r3's
ing for their victory CONFERENCE.
Washington met the rumor fo,,
with bleak official silence A c,. '
al glance at the battle maps 1et r,
reasonable doubt. however m. ~
urgency has doubled and redo ~.a'
ed now. Final American Brf,s
and Russian commitments mix
tary and political, for handing Il.
situation in Europe that would IA
suit from a sudden Nazi compIes
collapse must be soon signed and
sealed by highest authority if coso,
IS not to result.
With the American advance
against Japan months ahead NJ
schedule on Luzon, too, the oce,
ton of Russia S role in that va,
theater is ripe for Big Three com.
sideration. On it could turn IA,
more gittering prospects of speed.
ing the total defeat of Japan
However, it is the Nazi crisis in
Germany itself, and its intern,,
as well as external aspects, tina.
must dominate the war news Oy.
empowering in force and speed A,
has been the Russian advance 70
the Oder line on a front that reach
es all the way from the springs
of the river in the foothills Of The
northwestern carpathianS 10 with
in so miles or less of its Baltr
outlet at Stettin, there is a grave
time factor limiting the period il
which the Russians can hope L
maintain their massive main driv
full force.
Within six weeks or less the ear
ly spring thaws that turn roads an,
fields in Central Poland and IVES
Central Russia into all but hnpas
sable bogs are due. The Supreme
advantage hard frozen ground be-
tween the Vistula and the Oder
has given Russian supply trans.
ports striving to keep up with for
ward elements will be lost Until
summer suns again harden the SOIL
Planners of the last desperat
Nazi defense stand are as We.
aware of that as are Russian com
manders. They know that if the
can hold out somewhere, almO!
anywhere, in the east for tina
length of time and at the sam
time fend off an Allied major WI
ter offensive in the west Whic
seems to be gathering momentar
along the whole length Of the Roel
there must come a lull in the Rus
sian Win-the-war now drive
Whatever the scheduled agend
of the next big three meeting
seem obvious that the actual mil
tary situation in Germany an
ways and means of bringing max
mum Russian and Allied preSSu
to bear between spring thaws mus
take precedence.
--V--