Detroit evening times., 1945-01-29
-THEWzOR
IN REVIEW
Maj. Gen.
D. P. Barrows
TIVE German armies have

L made a precipitate flight
from the Vistula River OF Po-
land
II looks like a retirement
rather than a "rout."
There appear TO have been
no hard fought battles.
Armies do not vance
against determined resistance
al the rapid rate al which the
Red armies have pressed for
ward
Ii seems obvious that the
German high command had de-
termined upon the evacuation
of western Poland and slipped
out of their positions. abandon
ing Polish cities, one after an
other, with the object OF retiring
within the Prussian frontiers.
WHAT is not clear is the new
w line OF German defense.
where they are prepared TO
stand and resist with some
thing of the fierceness and stub
borness which have charac-
terized them in Hungary and on
the European west front
The question may also be
ratSed-whether.-if-th the Ger
mans are determined to hold,
on the border Of lands which
they regard as their own
national territory. have they. at
this time, the strength and the
morale to stop the Red armies
anywhere ?
We may assume that the
Germans have deliberately sur
rendered that part OF Poland
which down TO the first World
War. was called Congress Po-
land" and was awarded to the
tar in the partitions of Poland
that occurred ar the end of the
eighteenth century.
The Germans have also aban-
doned southwestern Poland,
which was the Austrian province
of Gaficia before the first
world war, and which, by rea-
son of its rich coal mines and
industrial establishments around
Krakow. was, economically and
historically. the most important
part Of the Polish republic.
LEI4E- question now -fs-are the
L Germans likewise prepared
to rcitnquiStr the province of
Posen, and what was formerly
West Prussia and became the
se-ealled "Polish Corridor" CIV
ing the Poles control OF the
whole coarsc of the ViStula
River TO the Baltic Sea at Dan.
ZIG and GYdna2
Fhc German nation, after
1919, never accepted this loss of
posen and West Prussia.
It isolated East Prussia from
the rest of Germany, although
the Germans had free railroad
transit across the Polish corri-
dor and shipping connections
with the port of Koenigsburg.
This "dismemberment" of the
Reich was the thing that seemed
10 most deeply rankle in the
German mind.
More than any other one
thing, it was the basis of the
propaganda by which Hitler rose
10 power.
THERE are three provinces
L embraced in their probable
new front, Silesia, Posen and
East Prussia.
These territories involve, not
merely their most moving his
torical traditions. but vital eco
nomic rccourses for the German
people.
The province of Silesia Is the
valley of the River Oder.
Further down is the great
manufacturing city and provin-
cial capital of Breslau.
The extreme southeastern tip
of this Upper Silesia was trans
ferred by the Allies TO Poland
in 1919, in order to give the new
republic coal and iron industry.
Unless German military power
has become thoroughly cnfee-
bled, il will display itself anew
in a struggle to hold Upper ST.
lesia.
THE old province of Posen lies
l. Immediately north of SileSia
and its boundary ran through
the city of Kalisch, and thence
irregularly northward TO the
city of Thorn, on the bank of
the ViStula.
1t forms an important,body of
territory. and with the Polish
corridor. divides East Prussia
from the Reich.
The defense of these two
areas, PoSen and East Prussia,
hangs together.
One powerful Red army is
now striking in the direction Of
Danzig at the point where these
two provinces Join.
1t has penetrated the south
ern frontier of East Prussia and
captured the famous battlefield
of Tannenberg and the railroad
junction of Allenstein.
If the Germans intend 10 hold
on 10 East Prussia and PoSen
they must counterattack here
and do it very soon.