SOVIET RESOURCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 June 1941, Page 5

SOVIET RESOURCES

NAZI PROSPECTS OF GAINING LOOT SOME POSSIBLE LIMITS. FACTORS OF ECONOMY & WAR.

(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, June 25. The value of the economic help which the Allies can give Russia in the present conflict is keenly discussed in .informed circles here, where the question is regarded as being second only in importance to that of the Soviet Union’s capacity to contain Germany’s vast military offensive. The two questions are, in fact, closely related. If the Russians succeed in holding the Germans the economic consequences will be extremely damaging to the invaders. Lost already are all the supplies from Russia, and lost are all supplies from the east via the transSiberian railway. Particularly damaging will be the loss of petroleum and lubricating oils. If the Germans succeed in occupying parts of Russia their gain depends on, first, how much territory they occupy; secondly, how quickly, and thirdly, in what state they find that territory. Should the Germans obtain possession of the Ukraine and the Caucasus only after a delay of six or eight weeks they will probably acquire very little of the 1941 harvest. They may gain some petroleum, depending on the condition in which the industry is found. If the Russian retreaters destroy or remove the stocks and make the plant unusable the Germans cannot obtain much additional petroleum in Russia for at least a year. New wells must be drilled and new equipment provided, and, so far as is known the Germans have not sufficient resources to refurnish and restock. Regarding agriculture, the effect in the war of the Soviet’s farm collectivisation policy is all to the disadvantage of the Germans. Not only must precious German oil be diverted to keep the farms going—since the Russians have not enough horses to replace their mechanised equipment—but a complete reorganisation of agriculture will be necessary. The collective farms are worked on a central planning system, raw materials, equipment, management, and so on, being obtained from central points, and if the Russians shall have taken the precaution to remove the key men' and specialists the Germans will have to import anything up to a quarter of a million men, including agricultural ' managers, book-keepers, storemen and many other grades. As for minerals, if the Germans need iron ore and have shipping available they can get it. If they reach the Urals there is pig iron and steel. But can the Germans restart the : industrial machinery and management? Unless they complete their task very quickly, and unless the Russians—an unlikely event—leave their organisation in all its forms intact, the Germans’ venture during the next 12 months will entail a big loss.

FINLAND AT WAR PREMIER SAYS COUNTRY HAD NO CHOICE. ON ACCOUNT OF RUSSIAN AIR ATTACKS. (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) HELSINKI, June 26. An air raid alarm, lasting 45 minutes, interrupted last night’s secret session of Parliament, at which the Premier, M. Rangell, announced that Finland had begun to defend herself with all her military might. He declared that the country had no choice except active defence in view of the Russian air attacks.

PARACHUTE ATTACK ON RUMANIAN OILFIELDS. REPORTED BY THE AXIS. (Received This Day, 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, June 26. The British United Press Ankara correspondent says unconfirmed Axis reports state that 2,000 Russian parachutists have landed on the Rumanian oilfields at PloestL