Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1943. SPEEDING UP THE WAR.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1943. SPEEDING UP THE WAR.

QF late, and particularly during- the last few days, the demands that have long been raised in Russia for a powerful land assault, on western Europe have been supported by important sections of the British Press in. terms that may on some grounds be regarded as rather remarkable. Not only have the leading English Sunday newspapers found in the smashing Soviet victories on the Dnieper front a reason for urging the speeding up of Allied offensive plans, hut the same note of urgency is sounded, if anything still more emphatically, by the staid and sober London “Economist.” ■ In light of visible facts, it is a little astonishing to hnd the “Economist” expresing dissatisfaction with what it calls the “Anglo-American long-distance perspective,” as compared with the “Russian view of the' war . . . based on a great culmination of effort to break Germany’s military backbone. To every soul throughout the United Nations, the idea of breaking Germany’s military backbone as speedily as possible no doubt is infinitely attractive. Without detracting in any way, however, from the brilliant achievements of the Red Army and the shattering effect of its present onslaught, it may be questioned whether the Western Allies are in fact throwing away an opportunity of participating in an immediate and overwhelming defeat of Germany. . . It has to be remembered that the central issue at stake m this matter —that of the time at which what Mr Churchin has called “a mass invasion of the Continent from the west” will begin—has been narrowed down to comparatively small proportions. It is true that in his last public reference to this question—made in the House of Commons a little over a month ago—Mr Churchill said he was not going to hint when this invasion would begin. More recently, however, in his speech at the Guildhall a week ago, General Smuts made a prediction which most people will regard as authoritative when he observed that the grand assault from the west on the Euiopean fortress next year was the first priority for the Allies. 1.0 those who accept this prediction at its face value, it may appear that ■what the “Economist” has called the “Anglo-American longdistance perspective” might be described more accurately and more fairly as a short-distance perspective. Account has to be taken, amongst oilier things, of how deeply the British Empire and the United States are already committed, on land, at sea and in the air, under existing strategic plans and of the difficulty, in conditions of modern warfare, of making any sudden and revolutionary change in plans of this kind. It is of importance, too, that in part the tremendous resources of the English-speaking nations are even now only in process of being developed and mobilised, and that enormous transport tasks remain to be undertaken. If a complete collapse of the German armies in Russia —a collapse opening the way to an invasion of Germany from the eas f— W ere in immediate prospect, the whole position would be altered. That position, however, has not yet arisen, and, valiantly as the Russians are dealing with the invaders of their territory, there is no assurance that it will arise in the immediate future. A complete German collapse in the east no doubt would lead at once to a collapse in all other theatres. For the time being, however, the Allies are being opposed in Italy by strong, well-equipped and resolute enemy forces —the bulk of which, as General Alexander pointed out the other day, -would otherwise have been available against Russia —and no doubt must expect to be opposed in a similar fashion in any part of southern or western Europe. While these conditions stand, it would appear to be as much in the interests of Russia as in those of her Western Allies that the hitter should adhere to well-con-sidered plans—the more so since there is every reason to believe that these plans contemplate a mass assault on Europe from the west before many months have passed.