The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-01-05
BY PAUL MALLIoN

ana navy journal charge that Rus
sian and British politics in Europe
have delayed military victory, inves-
ugauon will show considerable yes
And-no evidence.
The hinge-point Is whether the
Russians held back on their march
through Poland 10 Berlin in order to
gobble up the Balkans and Baltic
states for themselves, whether they
deliberately delayed conquest OF
Germany proper.
Some Polish organizations
have claimed the Reds did not
throw in enough power In their
Warsaw drive last August, but
the military evidence shows they
put 30 divisions into that fray.
Also Warsaw IL easier TO defend
from attack from the east than
the west.
The Vista river is supposed TO run
through the city, but actually the
important part Of the metropolis 10
on the west bank. which is higher
and commands the east bank from
which attack must be made. The
Reds appear to have made a real
fight and lost in August and then
let that matter so in favor OF their
southern campaign through Roma
MIA, Hungary. etc.
Butted Real Wall.
The Nazi fortihcations 10 to Is
miles inside the East Prussian from
tier are old Quilt before the war;,
and comparable with those we are
facing In the west. Here also the
Red army butted its head against a
real wall in September and let the
fighting degrade into trapping.
Reports have been published
that a Russian drive Is about to
start on the dormant Polish
front, but you cannot tell about
that until action starts and pro-
crosses far enough to gauge the
sire OF 1t.
The Nazis fought the same delay.
ing tactics against the Reds in the
Baltic states as they used against
US in France, holding ports and
pockets Of resistance with suicide
squads. Indeed. elements Of 10 Ger
man divisions still hold the Riga
estuary, multiplying the capture of
that port as at Antwerp.
Russian Waltz.
On the other hand the southern
drive through the Balkans was a
waltz up TO Budapest. After the
Prut river was crossed and Ploesti
was captured, Romania dropped like
a plum 10 Stain as did Bulgaria and
Yugoslavia. II is undeniable that
this military campaign has worked
Russia's way politically, not only as
to the Balkans but by keeping .Po-
land on the rough edge until Polish
politics and Churchill settled the
Russian way. The Russians are fur
Their from Berlin at Budapest than
they were in Poland at the end Of
summer.
The. facts from Europe seem in
wardly and outwardly TO be kept in
q yes-and-no state. Indeed, there is
arising here an attitude like that Of :
the New Deal senator whose state
ments you may have seen. He says
II is all British propaganda about
the Communists wanting the Greek
government or being involved In the
revolt.
I'VE hear conservatives yell
ing Communist everytime . peO-
pies movement rears its head"
he says. This IL the same line
familiar since the Spanish revo-
luton OF 1T Is" on one side,
at isn't' on the other, with no
one getting at acceptable facts
Of the truth.
Personally, for myself. rely
mainly on the judgment of the mill.
tary in such matters, but not on
politicians here or abroad. BY and
large, military men care little about
Communism or conservatives, but
want to win their war. They know
more about the facts than senator's.
Their Army and Navy Journal re-
6ected the viewpoint Of large seq
ment Of the defense services, al.
though other army experts are in.
clined to give Russia the benefit Of
doubt, at least until they see how
big a drive now develops in Poland.
In this kind Of a yes-and-no game
Of news from Europe. where skilled
propaganda forces are at work In a
life and death struggle for power. It
is necessary that senators, as all
citizens. try 10 ascertain and adver-
tise provsble conditions such as the
Communist connections Of European
cabinet members, or lack of them.
and 10 be equally alert TO the solid
evidence OF British use Of pressure
and power. That is the only way to
defeat propaganda.
II 10 difficult for offlcials to say
explicitly what caused the trouble
In Greece. yet the inner evidence