OUTLOOK IN RUSSIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1941, Page 6

OUTLOOK IN RUSSIA

IMPERATIVE GERMAN NEED FOR DECISION DANGERS OF LONG-DRAWN CAMPAIGN. REASONS FOR THE THREAT TO ODESSA. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 8. The most lethal war in history has resulted so far, according to '■The Times” correspondent on the German frontier, in the Germans occupying only one-tenth of European Russia, including a large amount of territory acquired since 1939. The German gains are only one-fortieth of Great Russia, and do not include a single main objective. Most of what the Germans hold the Russians relinquished with the object of withdrawing to positions more favourable for the defence of the Soviet as a whole. The Russians have forced upon the Germans almost insoluble supply and transport problems. The Russians’ strategy is fundamentally to enforce a deadlock similar to that of the last war. A long-drawn winter campaign must be fatal to Germany. The Germans are quite aware of the deadliness of the Russian tactics and hence aim at preventing the struggle from congealing. The Wilhelmstrasse, therefore, is predicting battles about to begin, far more immense and fiercer than anything so far. A successful German. attempt to reach Odessa might mean enormous Russian losses. Improving weather at present favours the German advance, but Marshal Budenny’s resistance is everywhere formidable. The Wilhelmstrasse appears to be very confident that this movement will show that the German Army has not lost its ability rapidly to overrun vast areas.