Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 18 October 1941
Still Taking It
We must now be within hours of an answer to two tremendous questions. Can Moscow be held?’ If not, can Russia continue in the field?
Russia, in spite of tremendous losses suffered as well as inflicted, is defending with great calm and courage, but the enormous weight of men and material flung into the struggle by the Germans tells its own tale, underlined by B.B. C. loquacity and Russian silence. Our own news of the Eastern situation consists for the most part of wishful arguments about German claims. When these have been discounted and discredited to the utmost, there is not much doubt that this crucial struggle is at the moment going badly for the Russians and that the Germans are getting results, whatever the price.
For the Russian peasants and soldiers, bravely enduring and resisting invasion in every circumstance of horror and cruelty, there is in this country intense sympathy and a determination to come to their aid now and in the future. The defeat of Russia would constitute for us a grave misfortune, postponing all possibility of the early overthrow of the Hitler regime or the release of Europe from the thraldom of the Hun. Russia could be a long way from defeat even if driven out of Europe, but the capture of the great Russian cities would give Germany the enormous advantage of winter shelter for armies otherwise condemned to the fate of Napoleon’s retreating hosts.
“The little more and how much it is, the little less and what worlds away.”
If Russia can hang on, all Germany’s grand strategy will crash and her dream of a Teutonised Europe vanish. If Russia fails now, while Hitler is still strong enough to hold and consolidate his gains, then the road ahead of the surviving democracies is indeed hard, long, and painful.
This is the situation after millions of German storm troops have been put out of action in this Russian adventure in which as yet the British have borne little part, our impotence having been exactly calculated by the German High Command. What would our situation have been to-day if Hitler had not chosen to attack Russia but had continued a quasi -alliance with Stalin while striking at Great Britain and the Middle East?
The help given us, however unintentionally, by Russia has been of enormous value. The casualties inflicted on the Germans in this hurricane of slaughter constitute vicarious victories for the waiting forces in the West. Nevertheless there is in this country intense exasperation and disappointment at our confessed inability to give our Russian allies the help and relief they sorely need in the most obvious and effective form, a powerful diversion in the West.
It is true that we are aiding with supplies and services and that according to Lord Beaverbrook the Soviet leaders are fully satisfied with what we are doing and intend to do. It is true also that these Soviet leaders had little right of reason to expect this aid, apart from our vital interest in sustaining Russian resistance, but we are concerned now with a people who, having been forced by Hitler into the struggle against Hitlerism, are bearing themselves so bravely, so patiently, and so staunchly that they would deserve our utmost aid even if our own interest were not engaged.
The situation of Russia at this moment resembles that of Britain immediately after the collapse of France. American aid was then offered with trembling eagerness if only Britain could weather the storm. Hitler, Goebbels, and the rest said (and perhaps for once believed) that Britain would never do it. But Britain did, and is to-day beginning to draw enormous strength from American and Imperial sources. Those sources will be available to Russia, supplementing her own undeveloped powers, if she can avoid the knock-out. Again Hitler says she will never do it: this time it is for Russia, with present help such as Britain never had, to prove wrong.