The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-06-08
interpreting
The War
FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1874,
BY KIRKE L. SIMPSON,

The Russian occupation ,os
conquered Germany As r,,S Ji. IN
in Moscow raises some interss saed
questions. esAhS
What is surprising about !.
that it follows the irregrl.n IL
tours of German political snhS sOn'
sions rather than geographical ~.
lures; and that it would placa tea
or more of pre-war. pre.Ancbh' al
Germany under Russian ron ,tuss
while the Western Allies Bri,s; u
France and the United states a;
vide responsibility for the rest VI
AS described in Moscow bro,,
casts the Russian zone would G ~
clude all of eastern and cen.1nI
Germany except for the Berlin ia
land OF joint occupation The ws,t
ern borders of the provinces usod
tc define the limit of Russian rr;,
diction, however, are so irregnls.
and so cut up by territorial loon,
and projections that it seems aston
ishing that an arbitrary strai0b,
line of demarkation KEYED IN
rivers, railroads and highways ~
linking major towns was not select
ed 1t would have made tbe Nd
ministration problems of the VAR.
GUS national zone commander
easier. The nature of the ioint
Berlin declarations does not mv.
gest either that German provincis,
government set-ups are 10 plav
any important part in the schem,
of the victors for running the con.
ouered country.
Another factor that the occup,.
ton pattern as stated by the Rus.
slams seems to ignore is that Of
communications 1t raises a cues.
ton particularly as to over what
route American Army of Occupa.
ton supply lines in the still unde.
fined American southwestern zone
are to run, what entry ports in
France, the low countries or north.
western Germany are TO be al
American disposal for that pur.
pose.
That could be highly important
from Washington's point of view
With the war with Japan calling for
utmost possible conservation Of
shipping in the Atlantic in order
to make tonnage available on the
long Pacific supply lines, the
shortest possible turn around for
cargo craft serving the Army Of
Occupation in Germany would be
desirable There is nothing Of an
official nature yet to show how that
problem will be solved.
Indicated Allied agreement to
Russian occupation of so much Of
Germany could have another
meaning, however. While the Mos
COW version of the Allied and Rus.
sian division of territory for &C.
cupation purposes means Amerl-
can and to some extent British
withdrawal westward from areas
Wrested in battle from German
armies it also must mean reduc'
ton of the size of Allied occupa-
tional forces. That in turn would
mean release of larger contingents
of American and British armies for
use against Japan. That Asia Cir
cumstance which could concely'
ably have weighed heavily with
American and British military su'
thorities in working out with the
Russians the eastern limits Of Al
lied occupation zones.
Press reports dealing with the
initial meeting of the Allied control
council in Berlin indicate the Rus
ians were meticulous in preserving
the appearance of Russian neutral
ity in the war with Japan. Ihey
walked at including article u
which presumably could have re-
CURED Russian seizure of japanese
nationals or property in their O.
cupation zone as that of any other
country at war with any OF Inc
Allies" 1t was dropped on Russian
objection before the declarations
were signed.
In effect, however. and regard
less of actual Russian reasons loI
apparently assuming the hons
share of the occupation duty Japan
can gain no comfort from the Nus
sian role in Germany. 1t TENDS 10
free additional Allied troops fof
use against Japan.