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Show hope of stopping the progress of the foe. In the Pacific the progress of the campaign against Japan has reached the point where there is no hope left for the Japanese. They have been ousted from island is-land strongholds, much of the Philippines has been retaken, our 4 j 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 FORWARD MARCH By H. S. Sims, Jr. GERMANY WITHOUT HOPES OF ESCAPE AND JAPS' PLIGHT GROWS MORE DESPERATE DAILY The war against Germany has about reached the last and final stage. In the East the Russians secured a broad base for their coming offensive and in the West the east bank of the Rhine is being be-ing rapidly cleared to open the way for a power drive across Germany Ger-many to join the Red army's expected ex-pected thrust. The knockout blow has not been delivered. Germany is reeling but the Army still wages desperate warfare. Outnumbered and outgunned, out-gunned, the Nazis are unable to mount a successful counter-stroke. They can only wait for the final blow which will come as soon as proper preparation can be made. On the western front the enemy has been somewhat successful in withdrawing behind the Rhine. The bridgehead at Remagen was a lucky prize and helps the Anglo-American Anglo-American campaign tremendously. The heaviest blow to the Nazis the Third and Seventh armies fell in and around the Saar where caught two German armies and all but wiped them out. Nazi Armies Too Thin . . . There is every reason to believe thatthe Nazi armies have been bled thin, without reserves and probably without strength to op-uose op-uose an all-out drive on the scale of that being readied. When it will strike nobody knows, and there is nothing to be gained by trying to anticipate its delivery. News from Europe indicates that aerial attacks upon German cities have been especiallly effective effec-tive lately and the civilian population popula-tion of the Reich may be getting a bit out of bounds. While the harsh hand of the Gestapo rules Germany it is incapable of maintaining main-taining control when the armies collapse and the Allied soldiers troop through Germany. The people of Germany, under pressure, have not rebelled and it is foolish to expect them to until there is more of a military debacle. deba-cle. No regime can permanently coerce a reluctant people and as soon as the disintegration begins there will be a quick response inside in-side Germany. The end will be at hand, regardless of itler and his group. Final Assault To Come Soon . . . So here is the present picture: Germany, fighting desperately on two fronts, is without the manpower man-power to wage prolonged warfare. In both sides the Nazis find their enemies across river barriers, ready rea-dy for a combined assault. Overhead Over-head the air is filled with huge bombing fleets which add to the destruction of the Reichs necessary neces-sary economy. Nowhere is there Navy moves boldly through Japanese Japa-nese waters and our aircraft, both land-based and carrier, strikes heavy blows against" important Japanese cities. Heavier Blows Ahead For Japs . . . Aerial bombardment of Japanese Japa-nese cities has resulted in damage dam-age exceeding expectations. Possession Pos-session of wo Jime increases the bombloads and impunity which tacks upon vital ports and plants, our task forces deliver plane at-disclosing at-disclosing the weakness of the enemy. The British are making some progress in their campaign n Burma. Before long British naval foces will make attacks upprn Jap positions in the East Indies and when the war in Europe ends, there will be a heavy reinforcement reinforce-ment of British units operating from the Indian sector. This will be in addition to great increases of our own strength in the Paif-ic Paif-ic and there will be a marked acceleration ac-celeration of the blows against Japan. It all adds up to a hopeless position po-sition for the enemy. Whether the ruling class in Japan will prolong the war, along the Hitler idea, or accept the inevitable inorder to escape greater destruction, is uncertain. un-certain. There is no answer available avail-able but nobody can predict what may happen. |