DEATH OR SAFETY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 236, 3 July 1944, Page 5

DEATH OR SAFETY

Russian Ultimatum To Opposing Armies LONDON. June 30. Moscow radio broadcast an ultimatum to the Nazis along the 200-mile White Russia front. Addressed to Field-Marshal von Busch, it states: “All the German armies in the East are heading for their doom. The last hour is about to strike. “You have only one choice—to die a useless death or end the struggle and save your Jives. No fortifications, no ramparts can protect you. The moment has come tor you to choose. Tomorrow may be too late.” .Military writers in London say that no limit can be set to the .Russian advance. It would seem that the German High Command misjudged the direction of lite Red Army's delayed summer offensive and concentrated its main forces furIher south around Lvov to prevent a break-through to Warsaw from the southeast. Now that the blow has fallen on the White Russia sector, hasty regrouping must bo made well behind the present fluid front. Rokossovsky’s feat in capturing Bobruisk and forcing the Beresina will go down in history as one of the major strategic victories of the war. It is being hailed in Moscow as the second historic battle along the Beresina, The Russians have never forgotten even during the darkest hours of the war, that it was here that Napoleon lost his army in 1812. A special communique broadcast from Moscow tonight says that the Germans have lost close on 107.000 killed or captured on the First and Second 1A bite Russian Fronts since the new offensive started a week ago. It is unofficially estimated that on all fronts of the summer offensive •Jm Germans have lost. 180,000. Germans* Surrender. An “Izvestia’’ war reporter says: “Some little spring has broken in the Wehrmacht. German soldiers, armed to the teeth are now surrendering while they still have ample ammunition for many days’ resistance.” The Exchange Telegraph icorrespondent, after a tour of the Vitebsk area, says that crack German troops, who a week ago were solidly manning the defences of the Vitebsk zone, now look as though they had been hit by lightning. “Our party in its tour of the district had to swerve its car on every few yards of road to avoid remnants of the proud German motorized divisions.” he said. “We halted outside the city to drink with the Russians n toast to 1 itobsk and Cherbourg. < >nc Russian remarked that these two bastions were almost vquidi.taut fmm Berlin." Berlin radio said today : “The Russians are literally deluging the battlefield with a rain of steel.