Oct. 7.
While the reactions of the Press of the different countries of the world to Hitler's speech vary. in. accordance to national, political "tendencies some surprise must Raturally be felt" over" the opinion exessed" by the Japanese. newspaper Yomiuri," That organ is quoted as saying that "Hitler is obviously entertaining an-un-optimistic view. concerning developments the war.".... The Fuhrer. frankly admitted that "Hussia''is developing into an arsenal despite tremendous German victories." This the first indication that the Japanese are really beginning, to realize that all is not well with the Axis, and it is hoped. that that realization wilt' become increasingly widespread. "Serious asthe losses of the Industrial centres in the Ukraine have been, they donot cripple the Russian war effort, for the simple reason that Russia has long been preparing other factories and. plants hundreds of miles to the east where the production of war material can' contin without danger of interruption, and travellers who have come out of Russia speare admiving= ly of the great work which is being done.
But, is It true that the Germans have been gaining great' victories? "That they have felled large tracts of Russian territory cannot be denied. Yet they claim that that is not "their objective, alleging that their immediate aim ts the destruction of the Red Armi have done that of paper, and over the radio, but not in fact. That the Russian Tosses have been severe they themselves admit andthe Director of the Soviet Me formation Bureau in an article admits that the Russians have lost 1,128,000 men, killed, wounded, and prisoners, about 17,000 tanks, 8,900 uriis and 5,916 aeroplanes. "Those are formidable totals, but, when the enormous reserves of Russian man-power with two years training are taken into account, the Gamage which the Germans have inflicted on the Russians from the latters" point of view certainly does not justify the belief that they have been reduced to such a state that they are unable to continue to fight." Indeed the reports which come to hand of the severe, Soviets of the U.S.S.R. cheered wildly when fighting which is still proceeding, and manner in which the Russians are holding up the, Germans, clearly proves Russian ability to carry on, Hitler, while making fantastic claims of} the losses inflicted upon the Russians, care fully refrained from saying anything' about German casualties. The conclusion to be drawn is that he simply dared not+do so. The reason is given by the writer of the article mentioned above. According to him German ensnaities amounted to over three milieu, killed, wounded or prisoners, approximately as many as the Germans lost on all fronts during two years of the last war. If the ratio between casualties and the Joss of war material is in any relation to that of the Russians, then it would seem that the Germans have' suffered extensively in this respect as well, though it needs to be borne in mind that an advancing army is not likely, lose s0 heavily in this respect as one which has ben continually fighting a rearguard action. Yet the Soviet Information Bureau claims that the Germans during the first three months of the campaign lost 11,000 tanks, 13.000 guns and 9,000 aeroplanes. Had the Russian ratio been maintained the losses in materiel would have. been much greater, and the moderation of the Soviet claims in this connection tend to confirm belief in their accuracy.
'There is in the fact that Hitler made no reference whatever to German losses, considerable support for viewing the Russian claims as correct. Master of the theatrical 'a8 Hitler undoubtedly is, if he possibly could have produced figures' to show. that the German losses were indeed small, it is not to be believed that he would have hesitated for one moment to do so. But too many people in the German services know the facts, and Hitler refrained from many a statement which would have been too widely known for the lie it would be. It has been already claimed that, in the present gigantic offensive which the Germans have launched, almost their last reserves have been thrown into the struggle. The reign of. terror, which has been instituted in the occupied countries, is an attempt to maintain order by fear, and thus berate more. of the occupying forces for service at the front. The use of Italian, Hungarian and Rumanian forces all points to the same fact and the only possi-Ble conclusion. to be drawn concerning Hitler's silence "in this connection is that there is one Iie that is too big for him, and that is that the German losses are small.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.