NEED OF HASTE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 June 1941, Page 5

NEED OF HASTE

PERCEIVED BY NAZIS HUGE FORCES EMPLOYED. THRUST IN LITHUANIA. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 26. The war spokesman in Berlin today stated that it is necessary to finish off the campaign against the Soviet Union in the shortest pos--sible time. The High Command, he said, has now thrown in practically the entire German war machine against the ' Russians to achieve this. The number of German troops actually engaged is 1,000,000, with a further million in reserve. The Germans, he added, are using more planes than in the Battle of France last year. Other German sources say that the most gigantic mass of troops ever thrown into one battle are fighting on the Eastern Front. There is still no detailed German communique. A.xis sources say that the Germans have made a deep thrust, and Moscow admits enemy penetration south-east of Vilna but reports successful counter-attacks on the other main sectors.

MAXIM LITVINOFF MAY RETURN TO ACTIVE DUTY. MOSCOW. June 26. Foreign diplomatic sources predict that M. Litvinov will return to an important post. M. Maxim Litvinov, who was replaced by M; Molotov as the Soviet Foreign Minister, was formerly a prominent figure in international diplomacy, specially at the disarmament conferences at London, The Hague and Geneva. He was the spokesman of the Soviet's pre-Munich policy of collective security. His latest position has been that of chief of the foreign affairs information bureau of the central executive committee of the Communist Party, but a few months ago he was sharply criticised by a public conference of the party on the ground of inattention to his work. lie is aged 65 and has an English wife.