Evening star., 1945-04-12
German Surrender
Seen Now in Process
Army Chiefs Giving Up Singly
To Western Allies, Says Writer
BY David Lazvrence

COHlIIldllu lids tFlueIlIly ucClucu IL ID
better to give up to the American.
British, Canadian and French armies
than to the Russians.
The long -hoped-for surrender by Ger
many is actually happening. 1t is being
done not through any government, but
directly between military commanders.
Organized resistance not only is crum-
bling, but what will be regarded by
military men in Germany as defeat
with honor is being accomplished. 1t is,
however, really an internal collapse
rather than a military offensive.
It is clear that armored columns
could not hope to penetrate as far as
they have if any plan for organized
resistance in front Of Berlin had been
made by the German commanders,
The fact that the American armies
are able to move as rapidly as tneV
have been going in the last "a hours is
confirmation Of a theory held Iur some
time here that, when the final moments
came, the Germans would choose the
An2lo-American armies rather than the
Red armies for the Windup.
Comment in Moscow.
One of the goVernment-cOntrol
newspapers at Moscow has been pro-
claiming that the Allied armies which
crossed the Rhine did not have any real
opposition. This comment was IN
tended to emphasize by contrast the
Russian military achievement IN the
east. Nevertheless, the fact remains
that the Russian armies have been held
to within few miles of Berlin while
the Anglo-American armies have swept
forward to gains that would not likely
have been tried if supply systems were
harassed by the enemy.
The German air force offers no oppo-
siti0n and the formation of any defense
line east of the Rhine-Which mas been
feared by some OF our generals as likely
to make advances risky-has not ma
terialized. The prediction of 4 captured
German general last week that the
Americans could 90 on to Berlin with
out opposition has come true.
The obvious sometimes is difficult to
accept, especially in military operations
where deception and hidden deienses
are always possible. But the more one
looks back on the Hitler party'S propa-
ganda Of intimidation, the nore it is
apparent that there was 10 means
available for the German military men
to arrange a surrender. Even # they
desired to accept the terms of 'un-
conditional surrender they would have
TO bring about such a surrender di-
rectly to Russian as well IS Anglo
American commanders. The possible
risk of falling into Russian nands was
not relished by some of the German
commanders. especially those of The old
school.
With Hitler ordering no surrender
policy on the one hand, and with Russia
and the Western Allies insisting on an
organized surrender by some established
authority on the other, the military
leaders of Germany apparently began
to figure out that piecemeal surrender
offered the only hope of preventing dis
order. The Germans have feared mis-
treatment Of prisoners of war at the
hands of Russian armies.
Whatever the plan, it is not likely
to have been broadcast to the people
in the surrendered areas, but doubtless
was participated in by few military
chieftains. II might even not have been
a concerted course.
Underground Moves.
The fate of the Nazi party has. OF
course. not been settled. Only organ
lied resistance is now coming to an emo.
The guerrilla warfare and underground
fighting will be carried on very much
as it was inside France by the French
people after the defeat in 1910. That
movement did not make its appearance
promptly. but gradually gained strength
as the occupying armies OF the Nazls
inflicted their cruelties.
1t may be that the underground will
develop in the areas under Russian con-
troll and will seek sympathizers and re-
cruitS in the other occupied areas. Inc
test of Allied policies of control, which
are to be carried out by a commission
sitting in Berlin. will come toward the
end of the year. and it is conceivable
that fighting in Germany will be golng
on into 1916 by guerrilla bands
Meanwhile for all practical purposes,
the war in Europe is ending. Occupa-
ton of Berlin by the Anglo American
armies seems a foregone conclusion
after the juncture with the Russians is
made north of Berlin any day now.
Plans for the administration of Berlin
by Allied military forces have been
made for some time. There will be rep
resentative military groups from each OF
the major Allies, but for the next few
months at least the Anglo-American
armies will have the major part of the
German prisoners and populations un-
der their jurisdiction.
The drama of Europe is by no means
over. There is Southern Germany and
Italy to clean up. But the bulk of the
fighting may be finished before another
month has gone by. For there is no
reason why the German divisions in
Italy should continue the struggle it
their sources of supply are conquered.
The transfer of our power to the Far
East should begin in matter OF weeks.
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