Show I RW N NR R Bf EN Washington D. D C. C GREATEST TRAGEDY You dont don't have to wait for historians historians historians his his- to record the fact that the greatest tragedy of ot the year 1941 as far as this war Is s concerned is the way the British have twiddled their thumbs watched watched- watched the the Russians and done almost nothing except cheer Over three months have passed since Hitler sent his mechanized masses hurtling across the Russian border and in that time the British sent only a trickle of help Yet the British knew that prolonged prolonged prolonged pro pro- longed Russian resistance was the biggest chance they had of defeating defeating defeating defeat defeat- ing Hitler They also knew that Hitler's s tactic always has been to pick his victims one by one Yet realizing this the British have done virtually the same thing Poland did when Czechoslovakia was invaded invaded in inA what did when Bulgaria was invaded and what Turkey did when was invaded They have merely sat on the sidelines sent airplanes plus a mission to Moscow taken a good long rest rest and and cheered Second Front Meanwhile the general staff advisers advisers advisers ad ad- of both the British and American American American Amer Amer- ican armies have bluntly warned that the Russians were sure to be defeated unless a second front was created against Hitler This second front against Hitler meant of course a British expeditionary expeditionary expeditionary force landing in France Holland or Spain This question has been discussed carefully behind the scenes but the British have bave wanted two things one was tanks most of theirs having been demolished demolished demolished de de- de- de at Dunkirk the second has been an American Expeditionary Expeditionary Expeditionary force to help them The British did not really push this idea of an for they knew politically it wa was impossible for Roosevelt But nevertheless they did want company In attempting toland to toland toland land troops on the Continent They had plenty of troops in England England in In fact so many that there has been restlessness and bad morale because because because be be- cause of inactivity It is true that these troops are arc not completely equipped and are sadly lacking in tanks But there is considerable belief that they were equipped sufficiently to make a landing landing landing land land- ing in Spain from Gibraltar and that in France the local people would have risen up to welcome them However all summer long the British have maintained an after you Alphonse attitude Meanwhile the situation in Russia has bas become darker and darker darker darker-as as every military military mili milia tary expert knew was inevitable All of which brings up the vital question of exactly who is the dominating dominating dominating dom dom- factor in the now virtual Anglo-American Anglo alliance We have thrown a very large p pile ie of chips into the gamble on a British victory victory victory vic vic- tory yet no one seems to know whether the British are taking advice advice advice ad ad- vice from us or whether we are taking taking taking tak tak- ing orders from the British President President President dent Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins may know but if so they have not informed informed informed in in- formed those closest to them HITLER'S OIL PROBLEM Most of the reports from Russia look black and to U. U S. S army observers observers observers ob ob- ob- ob servers they have been that way for some time However one encouraging encouraging encouraging en en- factor stands out This Is the question of oil Without oil no army or navy can move And despite the tremendous areas taken by Hitler in hi all Europe he still faces two years after starting starting starting start start- ing the war almost the same oil shortage as before Rumania seized chiefly for her oil oilfields oilfields oilfields fields has a capacity of tons annually However the Russians Russians Russians Rus Rus- bombed tl too the Rumanian oilfields oil oilfields oilfields fields so badly that production isnow is isnow isnow now down to about tons or less Germany itself has a synthetic gasoline production of about tons making a total annual production production production pro pro- today of about tons On the other hand Germany is using using using us us- ing oil and gas to operate its army at the rate of about tons tonsa a year most of which has come from reserves It is estimated that Germany still has reserves on hand of 10 or perhaps 15 million tons All of which means that the real pinch will come next spring In other words Hitler has enough oil and gas to last through the winter winter winter win win- ter but by the end of the winter be he absolutely must take the Russian oil fields of the Caucasus In fact tact he is sure to stage a terrific drive to take them even earlier The tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- tre- tre Nazi sacrifices to take Kiev and Odessa all were because those two cities are re the path of the Nazi march to the Caucasus Russian Chances During the tiie coming winter however er er the Russians should be able to toh h hold ld out The Caucasian mountains are high and rugged The Russians have a huge force in this area The British also have rushed troops through Iran Iran- to the border of the Caucasus However if Hitler's gasoline situation situation situ situ- is even more desperate than indicated above which above which may be quite possible then possible then he Is almost sure to put the pincers on 01 harder than ever before In a n nei lr tr drive on the Caucasus |