London, Oct. 10.
There is a homely American popular saying which is as true dieteally as it is strategically. It i Don't bite off more than you can chew." Its application to conditions on the eastern front is obvious.
If pincers try to nip off too big a portion of the front they cannot easily close and, therefore, cannot encircle the enemy. The present German thrust is being made at Viazma and Briansk, the two places being about 120 miles apart. One would have expected from the sensational claims of the German propaganda bureau and the statements by Dr. Otto Dietrich (press chief) in particular that these two arms of the pincers were closing behind the main forces of Marshal Semyon Konstantinovitch Timoshenko, who moun thus be trapped.
Pincers Opening—Not Closing But the latest Russian communique. while admitting a big setback, shows that the southern arm of the pincers is opening wider rather then closing as Orel is south-east of Briansk. 1t would almost appear as though. fo:- lowing the line of least resistance, the Germens were having to move rather away from Moscow in order to outflank the Russian forces, with tie necessary consequence that the process of mastication will be more and more difficult.
There is nothing to show that the northern arm of the pincer at Viazma has been able to bend southward Therefore to claim that Marsi Timoshenko's forces are enveloped to say the least, premature.
Some Significant Hedging It will be noticed, too, that Dr. Dietrich hedges very significantly in his talk to foreign press representatives because he says: "If we consider that the armies of Voroshilov are enclosed in Leningrad and tib armies of Budienny practically settled, there can be no doubt that the whi of the Soviet front is smashed." Thv is a very big "if," and the whole claim is reminiscent of the previous German boast that the road to Moscow was open, and that the Russians were "practically" non-existent. It is. a characteristic boast which is chiefly wishful thinking with the object of stimulating German moral.
That the German threat is very serious and has achieved big results is unquestionable, but it is too earl. to speak of annihilation of Russian resistance. The Russians have disclosed astounding powers of fight u and recuperation in this campaign, and their communiques have ber the only absolutely reliable guide the progress of operations.—Reutcr
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.