Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1942. STAGES TOWARDS VICTORY.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1942. STAGES TOWARDS VICTORY.

'pi-TERE is nothing at all. bombastic about the special announcement with regard to the Kharkov battle which appeared in a cablegram published, yesterday. The announcement is in essence a plain statement that the offensive directed by Marshal Timoshenko was undertaken in order to break up German preparations for a powerful thrust against Rostov, one of the main gateways to the Caucasus, and that this object has been achieved at very much heavier cost to the enemy in men and materials than to the Russians.

According to the Soviet statement, the occupation of Kharkov itself was not provided for in the operation as planned. In the English-speaking countries there has been, perhaps, an undue tendency to exaggerate the immediate scope and prospects of the Russian operations and to raise hopes of sweeping advances and captures by the Soviet armies. The statement now made by the Soviet Information Bureau on the subject of the Kharkov battle may the more readily be accepted-at its face value since it is entirely in keeping with what the Russians have been saying officially for a considerable time past about their immediate aims in the campaign against Germany.

A special correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian” wrote from Moscow not long ago that in some instances the presentation, in Britain of Russian, war news

appears from here to be over-dramatised and to ignore the present character of the fighting. It has been made clear in the Soviet Press and in official communiques that the first objective of the present campaign is not to capture territory or cities, but to destroy the enemy force. Forecasts of the early fall of cities and of the progress of imaginary pincer movements give the unfortunate „impression here that Russian front news is being played up to palliate setbacks elsewhere.

It may be hoped that a better mutual understanding and appreciation of what is going on in the different war theaties is developing simultaneously with an increasingly effective coordination of the war efforts of the United Nations.

Certainly it may be understood easily that the Russians will achieve a great deal in their own and the common cause if for the time being they are able to foil and wreck the enemy’s offensive plans, as they appear to have done on the Kharkov front, postponing to a later date any attempt to win more spectacular successes. If they are able to dislocate Germany’s offensive efforts, the .Russians will do much to pave the way to their own ultimate victory and at the same time, will lighten the problems of the United Nations in other war theatres.

As matters stand, with the Nazis engaged heavily in Libyaas well as on the Russian front, and now that the industrial heart of Germany has been battered by a thousand bombers in a single night—“the herald,” in Mr Churchill’s words, “of what Germany will receive, city by city, from now on” the combined efforts of the United Nations evidently are beginning to tell. Nothing is gained, however, by anticipating a more rapid and brilliant rate of progress towards ultimate and crowning victory than is likely to be achieved.

LIBERTY LOAN EXTENSION.

extension until tomorrow of the closing date of the Liberty Loan offers a final opportunity to those who, being able to, have not yet made their personal contribution to this branch of the national war effort. It should be noted that applications addressed to the Reserve Bank will be accepted if they are postmarked with tomorrow’s date.

Not much more than has been said already can be said to those who may still be hanging in the wind where contribution to the loan is concerned. Money, as well as the personal service and sacrifice of the soldier, sailor and airman are needed in order that the life of our own and other free nations may be re-established in peace and security. The natural impulse of the good citizen is to contribute to the Liberty Loan to the extent of his or her ability. To a fairly considerable extent that impulse has expressed itself in action, but there is room for a further flow of subscriptions which will ensure the loan being substantially over-subscribed. The most should be made of the additional and final day now made available on which to do the right thing.