The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-04-16
interpreting
The War
BY ELTON c. FAY
A1sOciAtd Press War A,,,

found in two development w. "
eviction OF American troops tro ns
the Magdeburg bridgehead and ~. H..
capture Of Franz Won Papen ~
| Here is one fanatical elen..,
fighting vigorously and vicioinsi"
as Allied forces from the east IVY
west roll toward juncture in ,bs
collapsing Reich while a high =,
fetal Of the regime gives himss.
up.
| Gin addition to Won Pappen Euro
lpean radio reports yesterday ,s;I
that Prince August Wilhelm, 4 sam
Of the Kaiser and who at one tim.
had a hand in Nazi activities pnS
9S-year-old Field Marshal Augns.
Won Mackensen, veteran of WorI5
War I, had been captured.)
The loss Of one OF the two bridUs
heads established by the Nl1tb
Army over the Elbe, hardly mors
than an hours ride along the Auto.
balm. from Berlin, puts soberjro
touch on speculation that the end
of German resistance is at han1
1t shows Gas was demonstratpd
previouslyat Ardennes) that a
cornered beast fights.
The reversal at Magdeburg
however, should not be viewed a.
alarming in any degree on The
basis Of present information. Tn.
Ninth has moved up the Elbe on
a broad front and has a second
bridgehead across the river about
20 miles upstream at Barby That
bridgehead had been expanded 10
a four-mile depth by last night.
What is indicated in the Magde.
burg situation is that the Na1s
still have men and material, even
in the present chaotic state Of the
Wahrmacht, to strike hard al.
though localized blows. 1t had been
believed for some time that de.
spite the great demand for man.
power at the Eastern and Western
Fronts the Germans had been hold.
ing reserves in an area immedi.
ately south of Berlin, ready for
quick transfer to either front.
They appear to have committed
some of these reserves.
The regular Allied communique,
coming out a short time before
the announcement of the Magde.
burg setback, contained informa.
ton that suggested tight situa.
ton. 1t said that forces on the east
bank had repealed several German
counterattacks and were under
artillery fire.
That is the picture Of the tana.
teal German. The reverse side
shows Won Papen, the elderly vet
eran Of German diplomacy and
double-crossing, sitting supiney
in a hunting lodge in the Ruhr
pocket. His comment was; II wish
this war were over"
These circumstances, taken 10.
gether, seem to make it quite OBJ
vious that Won Papan wanted to
be captured. Why he wanted to
give himself up is not Immediately
clear.
1t could be that the former wine
salesman and opportunist who once
survived a Hitler purge to become
a valuable diplomatic servant Of
the Nazis finally decided that
longevity was to be found only be-
You'd the reach of his former as.
sociates. Studying Won Papen's
personal record, that seems like
the most logical conclusion.
The chance that he is another
Rudolf Hess, the No. 2 Nazi who
flew to Scotland with an inane
Nazi idea of offering a German
dictated peace to England in p4l'
should not be disregarded, now
ever.
If that be the case, there arises
another question: From what peo'
pie in Germany does he bear
peace proposal? From the Nazl
regime? Or from dissident ele'
ments
The demonstration at Maggie.
burg, the reported preparation Oh
the national redoubt in the noun
tains of the southern Reich Tor an
Operation Gotterdamerung, tne
prolonged hold-out on the ltalaH
front, all would seem to ellmiha'e
Hitler as the source.
Next would come an elenent U.
the German army-What IS lel' "
the old Reichswehr and any JuilA'
ers officers who might have sur
vived last years purge. Won Papea
might have offered his dlplomaut
services to them, with a qule'
thought to his own future. .,.,-
Finally, there is the possloinGy '
that a section Of the German CIVIL
ian population-somewhat dlshealr
ened by the sight Of burning cin les
and defeated armies-has pulisa
together something resembling On
organization and asked Won dp'A
to take a message to the Allies
-N