Five weeks of fighting, and the Russians are still holding up the German timetable according to which the Red armies were to have been completely destroyed. Moscow occupied, and the Way to the Caucasus and its oifelds opened. That the Germans have made some progress into Russia cannot for one moment be denied. That in the opening stages of the invasion the Russians were caught somewhat off their balance accounts for the initial speed with which the Germans were able to advance. But with the Russians defending the Stalin line a very different aspect came over the situation, and though the Russian are still being forced back, their withdrawal is orderly and the Germans up to the present have completely failed to break the Red line, or to make a thrust between the Red Armies which would enable them to turn the flank of one or the other. In Bessarabia the progress has been least. In the centre bitter fighting is still proceeding in the vicinities of Smolensh, Polotsk, Nevel and Zhitomir. Again over the week end the Germans were again promising news of striking successes. This appears to be becoming a weekly practice with them, but no to the present they have been unable to announce any very imposing gain. The threats to Leningrad and Kiev appear to be developing slowly and it would seem to be yet some time before the former can be invested by the German and German-Finnish armies, Despite extravagant German claims regarding the damage done to the Soviet air force it is still plain that the Russians are able to dispute mastery in the air, and in some places actually achieve it locally. "The very fact that the Germans have not yet attempted to raid Moscow by day indicates that the Nazis still have a very healthy respect for the Red air force, for, obviously, if they hàd as completely destroyed it, as they claim to have done, nothing would have been easier than to bomb Moscow during the day. The same applies with equal force to the German claims regarding the vast casualties inflicted upon the Soviet's mechanized arm. If those claims were true the Germans should by now be carrying everything before them. That they are most certainly not doing and Hitler will still be hard put to it to finish the campaign he so treacherously undertook five us ago. Stories that the German propaganda merchants so sedulously circulate to the effect that the Russians are so hard put to it that they have thrown their last reinforcements into the line, and are now using youths and
helping of salt. According to the Nazis the Women's battalions may be taken with a large Soviet have thrown in their last resources so many times that it seems to be becoming quite habit. There is every reason to believe that the Hussians have not been extended enough to oblige, them to call upon their Siberian armies for reinforcements, even though it is that large forces are assembling before Moscow to give the Germans battle should they succeed in completely breaking through the S: ulin line. It is reported that there are at lei ixty divisions in Siberia, but the European ~itnation has not developed to such an extent that Stalin 1s Oblived to weaken his forces destined for the defence of Russia's eastern possessions, or even that it has been necessary to bring Soviet aeroplanes westward to repair the huge damage which the Nazis claim to have inflicted upon the Russian air force. In the meantime the Russians, wherever they are obliged to withdraw, carry out the scorched earth policy to the very last letter. The territory which Hitler has gained u^ to the present is no more than barren land for which he has been paying most dearly in men and materials, and for which he will continue to pay at the same high rate.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.