THE INTERNATIONAL SUGAR JOURNAL Vol. XLVI. NOVEMBER, 1944 No. 551 Notes and Comments. The Western Front. without a struggle, which is so much nearer the scene The epic of Arnhem—which Mr. Ch u r c h il l of military operations, remains useless till the channel described as “ a glorious and fruitful operation which approaching it through Dutch territory is cleared of will take a lasting place in our military annals ”—oc­ German fortifications. This last task has been pro­ curred too late for comment here last month. In ceeding for some weeks now, but seems surprisingly the interval it has been possible to assess its real protracted having regard^to the urgentjieed for this value in a larger operation which was as a whole a additional harbour. Similar considerations of supply decided success. Just previous to the attempt the limitation enforced a'comparative^lull of some weeks British army was on the borders of Holland astride once the American 1st and 3rd Armies reached the the Escaut Canal with the Siegfried Line still on their German borders. Minor fighting has been continuous right Jlank and, well ahead, the various arms of the but even at Aachen (better known in history as Maas and the Rhine, with their bridges still intact. Aix-la-Chapelle) one suspects that the full force of The British airborne contingent which landed at the allied hammer blow has not been launched and Arnhem attempted to seize the north bank of the awaits the^vast stores of ammunition and equipment most northerly of these rivers. But there were at which any major attempt at break-through entails. least two other airborne contingents (mostly American Meantime, the winter season is rapidly approaching units) which secured the bridge across the Maas at and unless there is a good spell of late Autumn weather Grave and that across the main stream of the Rhine to allow the movement of the heavy armour and enable (the Waal) at Nijmegen. Thereby the armoured us to make use of our supremacy in the air, it is a elements of the British 2nd Army were enabled to moot point whether any more material gains of make a big thrust into Holland and secure the crossings territory can be achieved this side of Christmas. of the two biggest rivers. But beyond Nijmegen they Some further surprises are not precluded, but so ran up against determined opposition and could not much hangs on the weather, which has been per­ reach the third river, the Lek (Lower Rhine), in time sistently hostile to Allied movements, with a few to support the lightly armed air-borne troops at exceptions, ever since D-day. Arnhem. The presence of these last on the Lek, This does not assume that we are necessarily tied however, prevented the Germans from rushing to a war of position during the winter months. A reinforcements south to contest the passage of the slowing down of movement may be inevitable, but a Waal at Nijmegen and thus facilitated our securing waiting game would almost certainly present the the great bridge over that river. The net result of enemy with the opportunity to build up a new these operations was, thus, that we secured all but Siegfried line behind the Rhine and train new armies the last of the main water obstacles to an entry into for deployment when the fine weather returns. It Germany beyond the Siegfrted line and had a deep might also give him just the time he needs to evolve salient into Holland which was subsequently safely further robot instruments of civilian destruction, widened. Success at Arnhem as well would have aimed perhaps at the whole of Britain and not merely enabled us to turn the whole of the Rhine defences at its south-eastern corner. It would also mean that running south, had we been in a position to make the Holland, Denmark and Norway would be fated to movement. But in the light of subsequent events, endure a dour fifth winter under Nazi domination, it seems very doubtful whether our supply position which latter gets worse as the plight of its authors would have allowed us to get much further than the becomes more desperate. Mr. Ch u r c h il l ’s dictum Arnhem bridgehead, as we were still dependent on (to which we refer further on) that the war might last the distant harbours of Cherbourg and the Normandy for some months into next year seems increasingly littoral. The -big harbour of Antwerp, captured almost likely on the face of it, but it is to be hoped that, as 31 November t h e international s u g a r j o u r n a l 1944 events pan out, it will be possible all along to keep the nese hold on the Philippines and facilitate an inter­ German armies fully engaged and the process of island drive to Luzon in the north, where lies Manila attrition uninterrupted, in which case the break­ and the heart of the Japanese resistance in those through when it eventually comes may well be the islands. The local Japanese naval force after claiming final one. The experience of the 1914-18 War is no a great victory which had no foundation is reported sure guide as to what may be possible this winter, as having retreated to safer waters. In the sphere for the modern army is so mechanized and the Ameri­ of the South-East Asia Command under Admiral cans in particular such adepts at mechanical impro- Mountbatten the monsoon season is now over and vization on a big scale, that Generals Mud and Rain further operations in Burma may be looked for. It may not be so paralysing in their operations as they is some indication of the growing importance of this were 30 years ago. front that Air Chief Marshal L e ig h -M a l l o b y , hitherto The Russian Front. in command of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force in Since July went out, the Germans have succeeded Western Europe, has just been transferred to South- temporarily in stabilizing the central Russian front, East Asia with a view, doubtless, to stepping up largely by massing all available guns and armour on British air performance there. the Warsaw section. It became evident to the Mr. Churchill’s War Survey. Russian command that a break-through in this After an interval of some seven weeks following sector could not be safely attempted till the German his record of progress given in the House of Commons forces in the Baltic Provinces threatening the Russian on August 2nd, an interval which covered the long right flank had first been eliminated. This operation vacation of the House, Mr. Ch u r c h il l on September has by now been satisfactorily accomplished with the 28th again surveyed the military position and the capture of Riga and the way into East Prussia political situations which were arising in Europe seems finally open. But the opportune defection of as it was being liberated. He was perhaps more the Balkan States provided the southern Russian cautious this time in prophecy about the end of the armies with an opening of which they have taken European war ; he did say that “ many persons of full advantage. As we write, they have reached the highest technical attainment, knowledge, and Belgrade in Jugoslavia, thus cutting the main route responsibility ” had hopes that it would be over by of retreat of such German forces as remain in the the end of this year ; on the other hand, no one could Balkans ; they have sent otherJ'armies northwest guarantee that it would not last for some months through Rumania into Hungary where Budapest into next year. There is also a possibility, he said, is now threatened (and not far beyond lies Vienna) ; that after organized resistance of the German Army and finally Red armies, well to the south of Warsaw, and State has completely broken down, fierce war­ have penetrated the Carpathian passes into eastern fare may be maintained in the forests and mountains Czechoslovakia and strategically threaten if they of Germany by numbers of desperate men conscious penetrate far enough to turn the German line in of their own guilt and pending doom. It may be central Poland. B oth in H ungary and in the passes the necessary for the Allies to declare at a certain date Russians have been aided by the defection of Hun­ that the actual war against the German State and garian troops and the aid of Czech guerrillas. But Army has come to an end and that a period of mopping further progress by these movements must depend up of bandits and war criminals has begun. For us on supply ; and the main push by S t a l in m ay yet the important decision will be to chose the moment develop instead into Poland and East Prussia. when substantial forces can be w ithdrawn from Europe The Pacific. to intensify the war against Japan. But Mr. Activity by the Americans in the Pacific has come Ch u b c h il l cautioned his hearers against taking loo increasingly into the news of late. Island strong- optimistic a view of the speed at which this great points and coral harbours have been captured one transference can be made from one side of the world by one to serve as bases for the approach to Japan. to the other. Not only will the Allied shipping, vast Formosa has been heavily bombed by super-Fortresses as it is, be a limiting factor, but the development based on Chinese airfields ; Japanese airfields in the of bases, the accumulation of stores and supplies, Philippines have been destroyed by carrier-based and the construction and protection of airfields, U.S.