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Zurich Herald, 1943-01-14, Page 3THE WAR Nazis Outwitted, Outgeneraled And Outfought By Russians WEEK --• Commentary on Current Events One year ago the headlines read: `" &anila, Cavite Lost; MacArthur Fights On" and "Malaya Battles More Invaders. It was the open- ing of a grim year, says the New York Herald Tribune, Disasters piled upon one another at Singa- pore and Java, in Burma, Libya, And. Russia. 13y summer Ilitler's armies were sweeping into Egypt and the Caucasus, and people talk- ed gloomily of a ten-year war. This year o:f 1943 opened with the gloom on enemy faces., Experts had said Hitler would have to win hi 1942 or he never would. He didn't. And the United Natione were on the march. Hitler and Goebbels, although naturally sticking to their predic- tions of victory, were Mess bony - ant than usual, Der Fuebrer said Germany would win no matter how "'severe the struggle le and will be and no matter how often the scales seemingly tip in Savor of our war enemies," Said Goebbels: "Germany has more or less suc- ceeded unneeded iu overcoming certain mill- tary difficulties which have arisen. . . Even counting the changing luck in such a gigantic battle as that in Russia, we can look with confidence into the future." The Japanese nation, which had been fed on news of big victories, suddenly received from Premier Tajo a warning that the war would be long and hard, and that the United Nations were preparing to deliver counter -blows of "great importance." Allied Outlook More Cheerful Oa the other hand, the British War Office, issuing its third an- nual review of the war, permitted rays of cheer to shine through the official stodginess. The first signs that the Axis flood "might be turning to ebb" came on Aug. 31, the review said, when Rommel was rebuffed at the gate of Egypt. But it was not until the night of Get. 23, when Montgomery struck, that "the TJnited Nations may be said to have begun demonstrably to capture the initiative." The Roy- al Air Force notedthat its strength rose one-third in 1942 and was now superior to the combined air might of Germany and Italy. In America Donald Nelson re- ported that war factories made in November the largest production gain of any month wince the Un- ited States began to rearm in 1940. About four and one-third times as much war material was turned out as in November a year ago. Red Army's Triumphs The Russian year-end review made• the finest reading of all. From it emerged the picture oe Soviet strategy, and the couclu sioe ; o which it pointed was that the German Army had been out» witted, outgeneraled a n d out- fought. Der Fuehrer's grand cam- paign for 1942, said Moscow quiet- ly, had been formed "without tak- ing aking into account the Germans' ac- tual resources and the Soviet re- serves." Evidently the Red Army had us- ed the barest minimum of troops to hold at Stalingrad during the fall, biding its time and building its reserves against the moment to strike. The moment came on Nov. 19. Soviet troops were order- ed to surround the main body of German troops before Staliu,grad. "The aim was accomplished" said the review. Thus for the first time Moscow made the flat assertion that the ring around the Nazi forces besieging Stalingrad had been closed. Within the trap were twenty-two enemy divisions, "In these engagements our troops wiped out 95,000 Germans and took 72,400 prisoners," Having achieved the encircle- ment before Stalingrad, the su- preme command ordered the Red .Army to launch the second phase of 'the offensive in the last two weeks of December. The objective here was to break through the enemy defenses in the region or Boguchar "and to come out into the rear of the German Fascist azzny operating in the greater bend of the Don, so as to prevent the enemy troops surrounded be» fore Stalingrad from getting away and from receiving belp from out- side." This aim, too, was "com- pletely carried out." In these en- gagements the enemy troops last in killed 59,000 men and 60,050 of- ficers and men were taken pris- oners." German Losses In the meantime the Germans had concentrated along the Stalin- grad-Tikboretsk railway to the north of Kotelnikovski in a des- perate attempt to liberate the sur- rounding divisions. The third as- signment for the Red Army, then, was to break up that counter- offensive. It did so. Last week the Russians captured Kotelnikovski, which the Germans had made into one of their most important bases for the drive on Stalingrad, In this phase, "The German Fascist troops lost in killed alone 21,000 men, and 5,200 enemy officers and men were taken prisoners," Moscow put the grand total of Germans Idled or captured since Nov. 19 at 312,650. Of course, the number of enemy, killed is bound to be an estimate, and may be too WO, On the whole, however, Mos- cow's official communiques have a good reputation for factual ac- curacy. The picture as drawn in the review is one of ghastly loss- es for the German Army. Velikie Luki Falls In the North, the Germans are in another tight place through the capture of Velikie Luki which con- trols railroads running from Mos- cow west to the Latvian border and from Leningrad to Odessa. De- spite German denial of the Rus - elan claims to have taken so im- portant a center, the Russians maintain that not a single German remains in the city and that large quantities of supplies and equip- ment have been taken over. Assuming the Russian claims to be accurate, another large block of German troops, that for months has been stationed around Rzbev, will be in serious danger. The Russian aim is clearly to make the most of the Winter it - son to deive back the German* from their spearheads at Etzhev, Stalingrad, Dade Naichik. Front these points Hitler would launclb a new offensive in spring. Should his troop be forced out of theca, a serious rearrangement of Ger masa. plans clearly will be needed. Moxdok Captured Capture by the Russians of Moe- dok near the Grozny oil fields in the Caucasus threatens to entrap a large force of Germans in that area, Some 400 miles to the north are the 300,000 or so Germans u -.- der General -von Hoth already sur- rounded around Stalingrad. Hitler appears to be breaking all military tradition by refusing to operate retreats from advanced positions, where supplies a r e threatened, or completely cut off. Whether he expects the forces at these points to hold their ground until relief can be organized, or whether they are to be sacrificed in order to delay as long as pos- sible the Russian advance remains to be seen. That the Russian Army can be retarded considerably •is clear both from the want of railroad conuections between their forces and' from the winter rains that in the Caucasus are softening the surface of the ground. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT On Wednesday, Deeetnber 1 h, the Prime Mhtister brenad`o- apt leech on Temperance. Canadian Breweries Limited respectfully submits to the Prime ] moister what it considers would have been a more suitable speech. It does so, not from any profit motive, Mice its profits are already controlled by the' excess profits tax, but out of a desire to retain thepublic's respee fpr its industry and those engaged in it. HE use of beer; wine and spirits has for long been a controversial subject in Canada and from time to time your government is called Capon to find a point of harmony between those who do not drink at all and would like all those beverages prohibited; and those who drink moderately and resent any interference with their liberty. If such a point of harmony could be•found, and the whole subject put outside politics and religion; ft would be a good thing for Canada's unity in wartime;.and later, in peace. It is important to decide whether or not this should be a moral issue or whether we should look upon drinking in the same light as eating and smoking. The evidence before me shows that many Canadians indulge moderately in beer and spirits. These consumers, as well as those who manufacture the beverages, resent the implication that they ate nor good Christians: I think the issue becomes a moral one only at the point where individuals drink excessively and become a nuisance. All parties should be able to agree on this. Let us say therefore, that moderation is the ideal which all good Canadians are eager to attain: The next thing to determine is whether or not ours is a temperate nation 1 have every reason to believe that it is. 1 know that we coesume less beer in. Canada; per capita, than they do in Great Britain and the United States: This being so, the problem reduces itself to one of dealing with a few irresponsible people who give the advocates of prohibition a falsely dramatic impression of current conditions. - My attention is drawn to the increased sales of beer and spirits since the beginning of the war, but these increases are only at half the rate of the rise in the National income. Many workmen are now busy who before were idle and penniless: Let me say at once, there's no question of any unwillingness on anyone's part to make sacrifices for the war, least of all among the brewers who have co-operated in every way possible and I am sure will continue to do so. But k should be pointed out here that fifty men can produce a million gallons of. weer, and the basic raw materials necessary to supply the whole of Canada's meed of beer are available locally in abundance. Any curtailments that do become necessary we will make with precisely the same attitude and impar- tiality shown to other consumer. goods: The one thing I always regret when restrictions are made is that moderate people are invariably the ones to be deprived. There is a great deal of medical evidence to prove that a hard-working man who drinks beer modetately, not only nourishes his system, but relieves the nervous and physical strain of his busy day. No one will want to deprive him of this form of relaisationr nor to .awake its availability so difficult that a worker on a night shift will have to resort to a bootlegger to get his drink: It is important that in this part of the British Empire we retain as high a reserve as possible of physical and nervous energy. We must encourage every form of wholesome relaxation to relieve the strain of war. So far as the army is concerned I am certainly not going to put myself in the position of saying that a soldier who is old enough to fight and kill is too young to choose his refreshments with good judgment. Here again the reputations of many are spoiled by the few. It has been suggested to me that I should ban liquor and beer adver- rising but how could I in. fairness do that when we continue to permit other rnanufacturers, whose goods are rationed or in short supply, to maintain their advertising in order that they may keep their trade names before the public. Furthermore, no one will want nee to banish English and American periodicals from Canada. Most of them carry advertisements for brands on sale in this country. How could we ban such advertising in our own publications and allow them in those from the United States. In conclusion let me say this: Everyone of us has his own ideas of what character our fast growing nation should develop. As our urban centres grow there are bound to be differences of opinion between people of some rural districts and those in the large cities of what civic rights shall be allowed to the people. Our laws must be so designed as to allow to each as much freedom of choice and self reliance as possible. Some sections of the population look askance on dancing, theatres, smoking, drinking and many types of literature. Let us resolve therefore not to force the views of one section of the community on the other. When a reasonable self-reliant people have an unreasonable law imposed upon them they simply ignore that law with disastrous results to the legal institutions of the country. We Learned this at bitter cost during prohibition years. The greatest friend of temperance would not want to greet our men's return from abroad with the evil spectacle of prohibition. I am convinced we cannot force the principle of moderation bat we can teach it. I appeal to all in this nation to be temperate in everything they do in order that we may exert the maximum. impact on the enemy. In particular I appeal to brewers and distillers and those interested in true temperance to join forces and use every additional means at their disposal to spread the principle of moderation. I appeal to the provincial authorities to so frame the regulations for retail sale that the business will be conducted in the open and on the highest ethical standards and not driven underground and to the bootleggers. Surely this is an effort to which all parties can agree harmoniously. VfzeciaereW erw'