SIX MILLION MEN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 136, 1 August 1941, Page 4

SIX MILLION MEN

BERLIN broadcasts Estimate that there are no less than 6,000,000 men locked in the great battle of Russia. The six million are active combatants, and behind the tangle of the swaying front line cruocSi millions more in reserve. The unexpected has happened, the almost incredulous has occurred. Giant Russia has withstood the first shock of Nazi invasion and to-day is vigorously counter-attacking the invader. German casualties have reached the appalling total of one and a half million —more than the entire population of New Zealand. Yet the mainaci behind the Nazi machine continues to hurry on the slaughter, deposing his erstwhile colleagues and antagonising the world. How long the titanic struggle can continue is beyond forecast, but the signs of the times can be read by all who are 'students of the situation. Two million tons of petrol are required by Germany to carry on the struggle she has initiated —the greatest mechanised battle of all time. To meet this tremendous demand her own limited supplies, from both natural and. synthetic sources, are calculated to produce little more than 20 per cent. Again, the German army chiefs have confessed to having to throw their entire army into the battle. Glance at the mfp of Europe and note the fourteen countries under the Nazi heel. The only consola,ting feature is the huge army which Germany must maintain to garrison the subjugated territories. If then her entire war-time army is needed to meet the unexpected resistance of the forces of the Soviet, her policing forces must be considerably weakened as a result. Germany, war-weary and verging on starvation, can be no match for the fresh Russian battalions, streaming towards the front in ever-growing reinforcements. Behind them the. supplies and war materials of the U.S.'S.R., are in super-abundance. The time for a quick overthrow is past, the element of surprise and unguardedness is now lost. Germany's only hope of victory seems to have flickered and died, for Russia has now had time to mobilise lier millions and consolidate her position. The mad-man of Berlin appears to approach his 'Waterloo.' Surrounded by enemies, abandoned by his friends and faced with the prospect of invasion from the west by the greatest remaining Democracy in the OVI World he may well fling out his armies in desperate eleventh hour attempts to regain the initiative. Already his frantic orders to his vassal partners are bearing fruit. Japan forces herself to risk a suicidal war with both America and Britain by her southward drive. Italy obeys the order to capture Ma,lta at all costs. In the near future we can expect even more desperate throws of the dice of destiny for as at last the position becomes clarified Hitler, unless we have badly misjudged his nature will behave like a trapped wolf," flinging himself about in a mad endeavour to escape his just desserts. Who can tell what shape his course: of action will follow? Perhaps even the long threatened invasion of Britain. Perhaps the forcing of the issue in the Mediterranean. To all the world it now appears that his sands are nearly run, and humanity's hopes are qentred on the German people themselves, trusting that they will rise up at length and put an end, to the monstrous regime which has destroyed their peace and brought about the bloodiest and most far-reaching war in history.