Detroit evening times., 1945-02-15
BEHIND
The NEWS
BY Paul
MaIIon

w Popular predictions that
the end in Europe is a matter
Of days or a couple OF weeks,
are not justified by inner mill
tary facts. They represent glib
hopefulnesS Of commentators,
not the soundeSt American mill
tary judgment
The Nszis show intention Of
fighting for everything, and
particularly for Berlin, the cap
ture of which may require more
time than is being allowed for
the end of the war. Nazi morale
is weakened but not broken.
More Germans are taking adj
vantage OF opportunities TO sur
render when confronted with an
easy chance 10 escape from
Hitler Tor is it Himmler?) but
not on large scale.
Truth is no large force sur
rendered either TO the Russian
advance through Poland across
the Oder, or 10 us. The bulk of
their gang clings to the Goeb-
bells idea that nothing can be
gained by throwing down their
arms. They display no desper-
ate shortage OF any line Of
equipment, except planes.
DERIODICAL thaws already
Il are developing 10 slow DOWN
the attacks. The Reds had 10
cross the Oder AT Breslau in
boats. The weather on our
front can hardly become worse
than it has been for weeks
(hitter cold, snow and thawsl
but at present thawS are Great
ing natural floods 10 add haz'
ards 10 the artificial dam
flooding of the upper Roer The
Canadians are currently accom-
phShing great success around
Klepe. but a few miles ahead
is the difficult Rhine River and
little 10 the south. the Rhine
water hazard IS only 15 to l8
miles in front taf Us S-
The ground is bad in front Of
the American Ninth Army and
British First and il may not be
solid for two months This IS
the condition facing Gen. EiSen-
hower'S promise of a large scale
offensive.
The Russians h ave not yet
been stopped, but tn ey have
been slowed down for TO days,
After fighting for bridgeheads
over the Oder on the d ire I
route 10 Berlin. they had 10 stop
in that center of the line. not
particularly because Of German
opposition a althoug h il was
strong, but in order 10 protect
the ffankS Of their extended sup
ply lines. They next strove for
Stettin to upset an organizing
German counterattack from the
north and 10 lop off the Danzlg
and Pomeranian industrial dis
triCtS.
Initial success was not great
and the battles are StIll in prog
ress. Hitting then IN the south,
they met unexpected success
being 35 miles beyond BreSlau
tnorthweSterly) at this moment.
Here they had bypasSed many
good NaH defensive positions
and entered the plains Of Sax
onv where the ground greatly
favorS further advances.
DUT how can you get imme-
ID diate surrender out Of this
situation? As long as the NazlS
retain control, there is little
prospect of surrender, and there
is no immediate prospect that
they will lose control. They OBJ
ViouSly hope 10 make another
Stalingrad out of Berlin, and
may. at least, make il a Casino.
They have lost no great masses
of men or equipment in the VIM
ter fighting and no peace ennis
SarieS have Vet come into our
lines. And ahead. March is the
worst month for military action.
Their actions indicate th a I
when the end comes, il is likely
10 take an unexpected form.
The NaziS clearly intend 10 sur
render only army unit by unit
Gas IN our Civil War; rather
tina n collectively as in World
War |.
This is likely 10 lead 10 a
worse condition than after the
Civil War and extend over a
longer period. Each army unit
may have 10 be chased down
and captured IMoSbN s unit
from civil conflict has not sur
rendered yeti
THE Na2iS look upon their
L movement as a worl q
revolution which Will one day
revive. and their resistance also
will surely be carried even be-
yond surrender. Already we
have detected signs Of their
underground organization func-
tionIng thoroughly behind our
lines in France. Italy and the
LowlandS, They will become
the Communists Of the future
with undercovcr workers in
every country CAT the time of
the Ardcnnes brcakthrouGh they
had precise and full information