. JUY1,n 94
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Russian Bulk
Vs. Blitz
THE
WEEK
IN
REVIEW
F OR E IG N
- - Conflicting Reports
A T
H OME
- - -
Following a first week of propa-
gandic uncertainty, a second char-
acterized by German panzer thrusts,
the third week of the Russo-German
war appears to have resolved itself
into a stalemate battle of Nazi blitz-
krieg against a tightened Stalin line.
General Keitel's well-oiled military
machine had little trouble in smash-
ing through Russian outer-defenses.
First, the Nazi machine had the ele-
menit of surprise in its favor. Against
massive, but slow-moving Russian
defend'ers, that was an important
factor.
Secondly, unytil the end of this week,
the Nazi drive had nod yet encount-
ered the mnain line of Russian die-
fenses. The blitz arm had merely
traversed the territory annexed by the
Soviets since last year.
Will Test Stalin Line
Now faced with the prospect of
rushing the Stalin line, a mnodernized
version of Maginot construction, Hit-
ler's legions were not covering ground
as readily as anticipated Next week
will test the strength of taline. -
In the Polish fi'ont, the main Nazi
column, spurred by the successful en-
circlement of the Russians at Minsk',
met stubborn resistance along the
Berezina River. Soviet commurn-
ques boasted of successful counter-
attacks. Nazi sources were silent, re-
ported only "steady advances on all
fronts, gave no specific references as
to location or degree of success.
Germans Reportect Repulsed
In a drive toward Polotsk and Vi-
tebsk, intended to disrupt Soviet com--
munications, German columns were
reported repulsed wiith heavy losses.
On the ,Prut river front, Russian
communiques reported the Oermans
and Rumanians driven back across
the river. Nazi emphasis on the cen-
tral front appeared to indicate that
the Rumanian satellite had been left
pretty well to itself.
Communiques Are Vagule
Indications of the trend of the
battle were given by the nature of
the German communiques. Refer-
ences to sectors of fightinig were al-
ways vague, the few accounts of
Nazi successes released gave no facts
relative to towns or areas taken. The
German version emphasized the de-
struction of Russian troops, rather
than the occupation of territory.
Most grandoise claim of the week
came "from Moscow late last week,
when the Friday Soviet communique
claimed 6,000 dead, wounded and pris-
oners in an "unidentified sector." The
troops, according to Russian sources,
had broken through the defense line
and had been trapped and virtu-
ally" annihilated. Moscow jubilantly
claimed 3,500 Nazi dead and wound-
ed, 2,400 prisoners, twenty-eight field
guns, eight anti-aircraft guns and
other war booty.
A Mathematical Anomaly
Despite a steadying effect noted
in the nature of the war communi-
ques, the propaganda war last week
was still a mathematical anomaly.
Early German accounts estimated the
Soviet air might as totalling 4,000
planes. By the ,end of the third week
of fighting, Nazi claims of planes shot
down totalled well over 7,500.' Typi-
cal Nazi communiques: "The Soviet
Air Force lost 281 planes yesterday
compared to our 11 losses."
Casualty claims became more like
bidding at an auction than a serious
attempt to approximate ,accuracy.
Germans last week opened the bid-
ding with a tally of 600,000 Russians
killed and captured. Moscow followed
with 700,000 Germans, then Berlin
raised; to 800,000, and the Soviet
countered with a claim of 900,000.
Fifth Column And Sabotage
Pas$ masters in the art of fifth
column sabotage, the Germans are
now pitted against the world's most
highly-touted organized band of sab-
ateurs: the die-hard, party line conm-
munists.
Their actions was not long in regis-
tering. Nazi supply trains were mys-
teriously derailed, bridges suddenly
collapsed, and food and munition
stores were set ablaze.
At week's end, sporadic guerilla
warfare had already broken out in
scattered sectors behind the. Ger-
man limes.
On the other side of the ledger,
Russia's long drawn line of defenses
was none too strong. In too many
sectors the Stalin Line's impregna-
bility relies on natural swamp and
river barrier: none too strong a chal-
lenge to German army engineers.
Armistice In Syria
T he Axsorphaned ewar inSyria
when General Henri Dentz, French
high commissioner -of Syria, gave
cognizance to the overwhelming
odds, called for an armistice to end
the bloody British-Free French ad-
vance. .
In answer to his plea, Britain sent
inevitable. Anzac forces were al-
ready well inside the suburbs of Bei-
rut, held full control over that city's
only major radio station, had pierced
her main defences at Damour.
Vichy therefore authorized Dentz
to conclude an armistice on the spot
with British and De Gaullists.
After aconflictisrite of "lcease
to anende Fiday nighat atery De
asked British commanders for an
armistice conference.
French delegates left Beirut early
Saturday to meet British conferees.
The armistice ended a six-week war
which Britain had started to prevent
Berlin-controlled Vichy from,/setting
up pro-Axis bases in the French
mandate.
Peru Vs. Ecuador
Peru and Ecuador's pint-sized bor-
der warfare appeared near settle-
ment by week's end, after Argentine,
Brazil and the United States had
sent stern notes to the warring pow-
ers.
Source of the recurrent border
clashes is a 118-year-old boundary
dispute involving a triangular area
bounded roughly by the Maranon
and Napo rivers and the Continental
Divide. A welter of barren mountain-
sides and dense jungle, the disputed
area yields a little rubber, a few des-
iccated human heads and apparently
a wealt ofpresige.
Spain and the U.S. had tried to
settle the dispute, but so far have
been able only to set up a status quo
line somewhere through the jungle.
Later last week Peruvian and Ecua-
dorean ministers lent ear to armis-
tice proposals from Sumner Welles,
agreed to withdraw all troops 15
miles behind the status quo line sep-
arating the two halves of the dis-
puted area.
Many believed that the border clash
had bee incited by pro-fascist ele-
ments in the two countries. Such a
war would put the effectiveness of
Pan-American solidarity to a hard
test.
If the combined efforts of the U.S.,
Brazil and Argentine can affect a
peaceful and permanent settlement,.
all will be well. If, however, as has
happened many times in the past 118
years, either or both parties refuse
arbitration, Pan -Americanism will be
virtually reduced to a glib convention
slogan.
Japan And The AXIS
First indlications on how Axis part-
ner Japan woud react came last week
in a report from Canada.
Ichiro Kawasaki, recently appoint-
ed Japanese consul to Vancouver, an-
nounced:
"We're not going to pull Germany's
chestnuts out of the fire. We are
not committed too deeply to the Axis,
and are not vassels of Germany."
This could hardly be taken as an
official statement, and may well be
retracted by the Tokio government,
but it is one of the first indications
to come out of Nippon.
RAF Ra ids On Gemn
.With most of Goering's air might
concentrated on the Russian front,
the RAF had ample opportunity to
strike at vulnerable German bases.
Hundreds of night bombers roared
over the Channel~j dropped their
loads on targets in Northern France
and Germany, hit hard at the Ger-
man naval base at Wilhelmshaven-.
Later in the week, the RAP leveled
hard blows at Leuna, center of Ger-
many's sprawling I. G. Farben, the
world's foremost manufacturer of
synthetic goods.
Secondary target for the British
were several naval bases in Italy, in-
cluding Naples, Palermo and Syra-
Not out of a clear sky as he might
have wished, but just as Senator
Wheeler last week predicted, Presi-
dent Roosevelt delivered a message
to Congress Monday revealing the
establishment of an armed outpost in
Iceland, 700 miles from England.
United States troops took over the
defense of Iceland upon the invita--
tion of Iceland's Prime Minister Her-
mann Jonasson when British forces
established there were needed else-
where. The act was applauded
throughout England.
First reaction to the fait accompli
was one of wary approval on the part
of the non-interventionists in Con-
gress: approval inasmuch as these
ranks could see good reasons for the
move but wished to be assured it* was
not one of a series of steps which
would ultimately end, in U.S. active
participation.
During the week, however the
President was the target of numer-
ous assaults because of his act, com-
ing notably from Senators Connally
and Taft following meetings of the
Senate Naval Affairs Committee,
which called on Navy Secretary Knox
for a full report of the Navy's doings.
Knox, for his part, denied reports
that the Navy has already been fight-
ing a shooting war, making this state-
ment during a closed session with the
Committee, and said furthermore that
no orders had been given the fleet to
shoot under any circumstances, nor
has the Atlantic patrol been escort-
ing shipmepts of supplies.
Sento Wheer wa mn f the
weekapredicting etheasceland 0move,
being shaken down by England's
Churchil for revealimg it,asreplying
democracy and demanding the in-
vetigation of 1naval affairs leading to
th nox grilling.
The ArmyDesre
General Marshall, Army Chief of
Staff, through Senator Robert R.
Reynolds of North Carolina, sent to
the Senate Thursday three resolu-
tions containing what the Army wantfs
ruled concerning its men now under
arms and those to be inducted.
The gist of the resolutions was to
lengthen the service time of all men
until six months after the end of the
period of unlimited national emer-
gency and to authorize the sending
of draftee troops outside the limits of
the Western Hemisphere.
Also to Congress last week went I
a request from the President for a
supplemental appropriation of $4,_-
770,065,588 for the Wa Depatmet,
and in the offing was reported an
additional request for some seven bil-
lions for lease-lend purposes and ship
construction.
Secretary of the Treasury Morgen-
thau worried over the added tax prob-
lem brought on by the new requests,
but decided that no change in plans
would be necessary this calendar year.
On The Labor Front
President Roosevelt was reported
Tuesday as disapproving of the use of
the armed forces to break strikes in
defense industries. On Thursday the
House of Representatives struck from
the May bill a clause authdrizng
such action plus other restrictions on
labor in defense industries. When
the House hagI finished its work the
five page May bill had been cut down
to one paragraph lowering the draft
age to 28 and requiring publicity by
diraft boards of reasons for defer-
ments. The emaciated bill was then
passed.
A strike of 150,000 soft coal miners
was avoided early in the week when
operators of bituminous mines in the
Southern Appalachian area signed a
new two year agreement with the
United Mine Workers of the CIO.
Major gains were elimination of
Lieut. Gen. Ben Lear really started
something down Memphis way last
week when he catised a battalioa of
the Thirty-fifth Division to undergo
a long foot march as punishment for
whistling at girls in shorts on a golf
course and asking Lear himself, un-
recognized in mufti, if he didn't need
a caddy.
Representatives Kilday and Dirk-
sen objected to the mass punish-
ment on the floor of the House, with
Kilday threatening a Congressional
investigation, saying that l)e. had
wired Lear something to that effect.
Lear, located again on a golf course,
denied receiving any such telegram.
Meanwhile; Acnre oficers all over
the country 'supported Lear, saying
that the disciplinary measure was
justified. Newspapers supported the
other side, and he controversy raged
on.
While all this was going on, soldiers
of the battalion nursed sore feet and
sunburns and laughed it off, claim-
ing they were no sof ties and could
take it as well as the next man.
In Lansing last Tuesday the Leg-
islature met to confirm some ap-
pointments and look over a number
of bills vetoed by Governor Van Wag-
oner, with Wednesday set as the date
for adjournment. Wednesday found
the House overriding veto after veto
and the Senate refusing to cooperate.
Republicans in the House, balked in
their veto nullification efforts, voted
to lay aside the resolution for a
Wednesday adjournment and forced
cuse.
North-South wage differentials and
extension of the union shop to Har-
lan County. Ky., the Southern group's
last stand.
- Karl Kessler
HELSINKI afer Finnis war vital RIVES MANSTAL~lN LINE ACUIFRERB TRYI
iiin defense of Leningrad. -D VE General Area) IN AT TED BYARSA
KRNSAD~'LENINGRAD ~ LIMIT OF GERMAN
KR N DV N E N 9 8I - AR H S AN L
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~~ NARVA~ - i. CHEREPO VETS*
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- ~~STARAYA RUSSA AOAL
-- BOLO7
T - e--cow Thes, and excellent
_________-__-__-__river and~ canal facilitios
- Eextend TPAL traspotaton Sytm
---A - T- - EZ - Sea to Gulf of Finland.
- - Reported 75 miles deep
T mAU- - EZENE n some areas.
--- VELIKIE LUKIZAOS
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* * - - - -* - --*-- O ILER O S A VLdivisions in France.
"- -"- " y --- MINS "'.
-R - - - WHITE~
SBIALYSTOK INmTAL NAZI PUSH ES BUSRYANSK.
-. -",.- -made rapid progress in - 2)RELJ I
tebrrio taen9 -. .,B NOWICZE BOB1RUISkJ "IK4
- N * ----Resistance stiffened atBO R IK'' y '% . 4*
...".-.-.-.old Russian boundary. A o
- .P:: .L/ %r4 N_ .~ H IS T ORI1C B E RE ZlN A .a ~GOME NVOZYBKOV
- ------- RIVER, where Napoleon suf- ~~ DMITRIEV
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Lea r Goes Gol fing
For the German armies pounding at Russian defenses in the central
area of the 1,100-mile Russian front, all roads lead to Moscow.
The Soviet capital, sixth largest city in the world and the nerve
center of a nation of 180,000,000 people, obviously is the goal of the Nazi
divisions which have figured in the fighting around Minsk, on the Ber9'.
,urnu Rnivtav 21na1 pipumhpr% m the d'antrnf frnrut
cept where they have been built for purely military purposes, good high-
ways are rare. Few good bridges exist, but the Germans know how to
build their own.
* * * *
The July climate of the land which the Germans have chosen to
-.-.11- - --- *-__ _*SS- - - -