Show The W War r Today Many Overrate Danger of Reds Reaching Nazi Capital First Associated Press War Var Anal Analyst n By DeWitt Mackenzie The breezy newsstand stand attendant at t my small suburban railway station station sta- sta tion ion with whom I confer each morning on th the status statu of the war asked me whether the hard driving driving ing ng Russians arc likely to reach B Berlin ahead of the Anglo Anglo-Amerl- can an allies ands and and if so how that's II going to affect postwar problems His query was of course purely by y way of making conversation because he knows knows' all th the answers already Still SUlI he was was asking a question which a lot of folk arc are debating especially since the Hit- Hit erite line has been slashed in two at t the old Polish border west of Kiev lev jav and the nazi forces in the bend trap again are in inore sore ore straits ls Well Vell what's the answer First First off its it's fairly obvious that if it the German front should suffer a wholesale collapse e the Muscovites might indeed by marching down Unter den Linden before an Anglo- Anglo American army could arrive However while the nazis are in a tight tigh spot there has been no general general general gen gen- eral collapse as yet and lacking signs of one the presumption must be that theres there's a lot of ot fighting fighting fighting fight fight- ing to be done before any allied troops rea reach h the German capital If the Germans arc are able to continue continue continue con con- the skillful withdrawals which they have maintained for more than miles at the extreme depth then they will make a final defense in the fortifications on their own borders Should th this l happen it will take the combined striking power of both Russian and Anglo-American Anglo armies to administer administer admin admin- ister an early coup de grace This presumably would bring all the allies into Berlin at the same time Here one is bound to take note of the the perhaps fetched far-fetched contingency contingency contingency contin contin- gency of the Anglo-American Anglo allies al allies al- al lies being unable to stage a an in invasion invasion invasion in- in of western Europe before the red forces have had time to drive the nazis back to the German border and breach the defenses Such a situation could scarcely arise if the American and British home fronts remain steadfast However it must bo o emphasized that at this juncture of the preparations preparations preparations prep prep- for the invasion probably more depends on the effort of at the Anglo American home fronts fronts' than on the military Theres There's no possible possible possible pos pos- sible doubt that anything at all which delays war production in either cither country will adversely affect affect affect af af- Invasion plans consequently delaying wars war's end and increasing allied casualties But lets let's get back to the ques question lion tion of what happens if the Russians Russians Russians Rus Rus- should reach the German capital ahead of pf their allies Would the tho victorious M Muscovites be inclined inclined in inclined in in- to o impose their own ow own Conditions condi conditions Condi- Condi nil irrespective of the wishes of Bri Britain tain and arid America Its It's important in answering this to record that the allied conferences conferences cont con con- t of ot Moscow and Teheran appear to have brought brough the Russians Rus Rus- slam into full partnership with the United States and England Prior to those parleys Moscow had been holding aloof Now these three dominant powers powers powers pow pow- ers are in an accord which appears to insure out all-out collaboration in prosecuting the war war- It also provides provides provides pro pro- vides a decree of friendly trustfulness trustfulness trust trust- s which should enable solution solution solution tion of postwar differences which are arc bound to arise |