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REPORT ON THE XA RUSSIANS W.L y White A INSTALLMENT EIGHT Considering only military effec tives, the miracle is that any-Ger man soldier was able to set foot on Russian soil. They were able to penetrate to the suburbs of Moscow and Leningrad and range as far as the Caucasus (1,500 miles from Ber lin) not only because of Russia's technical poverty and the disorgan ised state of her industrial develop ment, but also because at the time the Red Army lacked experienced ?fficers. Her initial air force, for in stance, could not compare in quality with that of the Germans. Much of it was smashed in the first few weeks of fighting. If the Russian air force is primi tive, this is no reflection on the skill of Russian pilots, who rank among the world's best. But Rus sia lacks the skill to turn out good planes. Of all branches of any air force, long-range bombers such as the British Lancaster and the Amer ican Fortress and Liberator require the highest degree of industrial skill for production and operation in large numbers. They are almost totally absent in the Red Air Force. Russian pilots ranked among world's best. The men who plan the Red Air Force have skillfully designed it atound the country's many short ages; they have concentrated on production of the Stormovik, a slow, fetw altitude strafing plane. Since tida efficient little tank buster usu ally operates at treetop level, the Soviet fighters which protect it have no need for high altitude equip ment. Of the 10,000 planes which Amer ica has delivered to the Soviet Union the Russians like best the Bell Aira cobra, which is a light, low altitude, ground co-operation plane, similar in function' to the Stormovik. It is ' standard Red Air Force procedure immediately to remove ah high al titude flying equipment from most American planes, replacing the weight with extra ammunition. tacking night fighters and radar, Soviet targets within range of the Luftwaffe are particularly vulnera ble to night bombing, and the stand ard Russian method of defense Is ground fire from anti-aircraft bat teries, such as was used to protect Moscow. However, lacking radar to guide their fire, the gunners can ?hoot only at the sound, which is a rough indication not of where the bomber is, but where it was sev eral seconds ago. Therefore, to be effective, batteries must be massed alynrt the target, vomiting continu- ' ?US fountains of fire during a raid, an expensive procedure. Katyn Forest is near Smolensk and Is the grave of some 10,000 Poles, mostly officers, who were shot in the back of the head. Whether this ?laughter of helpless war prisoners -vss done by Russians or Germans, there is violent disagreement and evidence both ways. To understand the complexity of the case, a little history is neces sary. When in 1939, the Germans and Russians divided Poland, the Russian share of the loot included Bi*re than 180,000 prisoners of war, *i whom 10,000 were officers. A few were generals. The most distin guished of these, including General Anders, were confined to Moscow's Lubianka prison. The rest of the 10,000 officers were sent to three prison camps in the Russian towns af Starobielsk, Kozielsk, and Osta sskov. These camps housed twelve Polish generals, sixty-nine colonels, ?rventy-two lieutenant colonels and hi all 5,131 regular army officers ?ad 4,096 reserve officers. Few of 1 DM last had been captured in com bat. Most of them had not yet been called up for duty, but, when Rus sia occupied her half of Poland, obeyed the Soviet summons to as semble. The Polish officers were reason ably well treated at the three camps ?stil April, 1940, when the Soviets began evacuating them, telling the mtn they might be sent back to thtir homes. They left in groups at from twenty to sixty every few during April and early May. What became at them after that, the Poles have a few cluea. Most jot ba 10,000 vanished from the earth except (or 400 who were Anally tak en to a camp at Gryazovets. On June 22, 1941, Hitler attacked Russia. The Polish government in London immediately offered the hand of friendship to the Soviets, suggesting the formation from pris oners of war in Russian hands, of a Polish army. The Soviets accept ed. General Anders was released from his prison cell, installed in a comfortable hotel room with apolo gies, and with Soviet co-operation began forming his army. Poles, released from prison camps all over the Soviet Union, began flocking to his headquarters, but there were almost no officers. General Anders was at first not alarmed, believing that they prob ably had been transferred to some far-away Arctic labor camp and presently would turn up. But as months went by and not one addi tional officer reported he became concerned. November of 1941, Polish Ambas sador Kot interviewed Stalin on this perplexing problem. The Marshal appeared genuinely astonished. In Kot's presence, he rang up the NKVD and said the prisoners who ko/f knnn ivi 4V?ab? ???%? ubtu ai wvac tiu cc wani|/a should be released at once. A month passed, during which the Poles were collecting, from the 400 survivors of the three camps, a list of the names of their missing broth er officers. On December 4, when Stalin received Generals SikorsU and Anders, they took with them an incomplete list of 4,500 names. This lime Stalin expressed no surprise or indignation. The Poles felt he an swered evasively, suggesting that the 10,000 officers might have re turned to German occupied Poland or fled over the Manchurian border. Knowing how closely the NKVD su pervises all travel in Russia, it was difficult for the two Polish generals to believe such a large number of jfficers could have accomplished Otis journey undetected. Picking up lis telephone, Stalin called General Pamfilov at NKVD headquarters, igain issuing orders to release all Poles who had ever been in the three samps. More time passed but not an of Jeer turned up. A really disturbing rumor began .o circulate. A few months before he German attack on Russia, the ^KVD assembled several Polish staff officers, including a Colonel Berling, and suggested to them that possibly a Polish army might be or ;anized to fight the Germans. At a inference with Russian NKVD of icials, Beria and Merkulov, Colo lel Berling agreed, provided it was trganized "irrespective of political sreeds," and then added that, at he three officers' prison camps, 'we have excellent army cadres." Whereupon, Merkulov answered juickly, with some embarrassment, "No, not these men. We have made i great blunder in connection with hem." Only rumors, perhaps, but hey disturbed the Poles. Then on April 13, 1943, the Ger nan radio announced that in Katyn forest, near Smolensk, which they hen held, they had discovered mass [raves of about 10,000 Polish of Icers, each killed with a bullet hrough the back of his head. They aid Russian peasants in the vicin ty told them these prisoners of war vere murdered by the NKVD in the ipring of 1940, giving dates corre ponding closely to the time the irison camps had been evacuated, [tie Germans also claimed that let ers and papers found in the cloth ng, as well as the condition of the mdies, indicated that the men had >een murdered in the spring of 940. Names announced over the Ger nan radio corresponded with those if Polish officers missing from the hree camps. Radio Moscow took cognizance of he German charges in a bitter iroadcast saying "These German ies reveal the fate of Polish officers irhom the Germans employed in instruction work in that region." tussian news avencv Taw icctHwt i communique explaining that these 3olish prisoners, who had been em >loyed by the Russians on construc ion work west of Smolensk, had >een captured by the Germans dur ng the Soviet retreat in the summer >f 1941. This explanation did not satisfy ill Poles. Their officers had been >vacuated in April, 1940. Ever since he Russo-German break in June of 941, the Polish government had >een trying to get from the Rus sians some hint ag to where they lad been taken. Only after this Ger nan broadcast do they leam from he Soviet government that the of lcers had been taken to the Katyn rorest region, with the additional tatement that in 1941 they were cap ured and murdered by the Ger nans. On April 26, the Soviet govern nent broke off relations with the 3olish government in London, and set up in Moscow her own "Union if Polish Patriots" which, according o the London Polish government, ras made up of Polish Communists mknown to the people of Poland. ii 'au iiwi in iiitr-^"-"' -*? The Red Army reoccupled Katyn, and on January 22. 1944, issued a communique saying that a Soviet in vestigating commission had been called to settle, once and tor all, the Katyn Forest dispute. The Russian Commission was a 100 per cent Soviet picnic. Their experts ? distinguished Russian academicians?determined that the Germans, following their occupation of Smolensk, had carried out the mass shootings in the autumn of 1941, and in 1943, "calculating to set, Russians and Poles at loggerheads, tried to ascribe this crime to the Soviet government." The Russians charged that in the spring of 1943 the Germans had even brought to Katyn Forest, Polish bodies from other dis tricts, and had used 500 Russian prisoners of war in the work of re moving from the Polish bodies all documents which would incriminate the Nazis and substituting docu ments which would tend to incrim inate the Russians, after which the Germans had shot the Soviet war prisoners. The evidence of German guilt, gathered by the Soviet Commission answers all questions but this one: if the Polish officers were still alive in the summer of 1941 and could be captured by the Germans, why were the Poles not told this at onceT Why were important Polish govern ment officials allowed to go wild goose-chasing all over the Soviet Union for nearly two years in search of their army's officers, when the Russians knew the men were already in German hands? An observant reporter noticed that one Polish body was clad in long, heavy underwear, and mentioned it to the Soviet doctor in charge. The doctor remarked that most of the bodies wore either heavy under wear, or overcoats, or both. That pointed to the theory that these Poles must have been shot during April, 1940, as the Germans claimed, rather than in August and September, 1941, after the Germans moved in, as the Soviet government was contending. When this point was raised with the Soviet conducting officers, there was considerable confusion and the Russians Anally argued that the cli mate of Poland is uncertain, so that fur overcoats and long under wear might be worn in September. If a reporter would write "I AM NOT A MEDICAL EXPERT BUT DOCTORS SAY the condition of these bodies proves they were mur dered by the Germans," the cen sorship would strike out the qualify ing phrase (capitalized), leaving only the bare charge. Also stricken out were all phrases indicating any doubt in the corre spondents' minds?such words as "in my opinion," "probably," or "evidence we were shown would tend to prove," with the result that the stories as received in America were as firmly damning of the Ger mans as Pravda's editorials. In 1939, when the Anglo-French Military Mission was in Moscow try ing to negotiate an alliance with the Soviet Union one of the Soviet de Russian* Improved the technique of paratroops that they created. mands was the right, under certain circumstances, to occupy the three Baltic States. The British demurred. When I was in London in February of 1940, an intelligent young man in their foreign office gave me their posi tion. "Here we are," be said, "suppos edly defending the rights of small European nations. We could hardly start by delivering three of them to the Russians as a price for their al liance. We have to consider opinion in the States. What would your peo ple have said to that?" "They would have been in favor of almost anything you had to do to win the war without their having to get in," I said, and I still think I eras right (to n cotrnxuED) . ? . IMPROVED J,,JJ UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL Sunday i chool Lesson By HAROLD L. LUNDQUIST. D. D. I Of "Am Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. RcUaaad by Western Newspaper Union. Lesson for May 5 Utan lubjtcta and Scrtptura tali ao | lactad and copyrighted by Intarnatlonal j Council^ of Raugloua Education: c-aad by TWO BROTHERS LEARN TOLERANCE LESSON TEXT?Mark S:M-R: Luka 9 49 M: I John ?:T. ?. GOLDEN TEXT?And thla com mandmcnt hava wa (ran him, that ha who loveth God Istra hla brathar alio.?1 John 4:11. Intolerance la soundly condemned in our day, and we agree that the spirit which hates or hinders a man because he is of a certain race or ci d is definitely wrong. Even within Cliristian~clrcles we could well learn more of that fine spirit of Christ which is epitomized in the words, "no respecter of persons." A word of caution is needed, however, lest we come to extend our tolerance to tnat wnicn is simui, wicked or destructive. One should never tolerate poison in a child's food, or in his textbooks. One does not tolerate a fire while it destroys one's horse. Nor should one be tolerant of false teaching which breaks dcwn faith in the Bible as the Word of God. James and John were outstanding in their places of leadership for God. We learn in our lesson for today that I. God Wants Powerful Men (Mark 3:14-17). There seems to be an impression current in some places that being a Christian is practically synonymous with being a weak, frightened, neg ative person without either person ality or power. The fact is that the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ right ly interpreted, and fully received into the heart and life of a man, brings such a tremendously enrich ing and transforming experience that it appeals to all. Including the vital, dynamic type. These two men were "the sons of thunder"; that is, they had that flashing alertness and power of per sonality which made them quick to understand and decisive in action. True, it showed itself in an impa tience which was wrong and a de ?ire to bring down judgment, when they should have shown compas sion, but that was power out of con trol, always a dangerous thing. II. God Wants Balanced Men (Luke 9:49, 50). Power goes to a man's head, and he needs the balance of God to keep him from going astray. Then too, strong men have intense loyalties and are not afraid to assert them, and are prone to condemn all who do not conform. John was here exhibiting that dreadfully sectarian viewpoint which persists even in our day. To him it was not enough that a man was do ing the Lord's work; he must either join their particular circle or quit. He fas willing to stop a work of grace because this disciple of Christ was not in the regular group. That same spirit prevails today. One wonders how some narrow sectarians can read the words of Jesus without blushing in shame and rushing to his feet for forgive ness and cleansing. God wants dynamic men to work for him; but he wants them to be poised and balanced in their deal ings with others, especially with the brethren. in. God Wants Patient Men (Luke 9:61-56). The friction between the Jews and the Samaritans dated from the time when the latter?a half-Gentile peo ple?were denied the right to help in building the temple. That be came the foundation for long and bitter strife, which showed up in such a discourteous act as to re fuse a night's lodging to travelers because their destination was the hated city of Jerusalem. TV-i- 1 ' ?ucu uut?u)^ t icwcu nuiii anoin er angle was far more than a bitter lack of courtesy, for they were turn ing from their door the Son of God, the Lord of glory. Stubborn prejudice combined with spiritual ignorance to make this tense and explosive situation. The sons of thunder had an answer ready?let's blow them off the earth. Simple, wasn't it? Yes, but nei ther right nor kind. These poor people should have drawn forth their compassion, not their hatred or a desire for revenge. Whenever and wherever you see a man set to get revenge on an other, you see a man who knows nothing of the true spirit of Christ (v. 59). IT. God Waats Loving Men (I John 4:7, 8). Love is not merely something that God shows toward men or in spires in their hearts. God is love. Being God, he is love, and that love is not a passive quality but an ac tive one. He loves. Because he is love, those who profess to belong to him are also to love one another, to love a world lost in sin, yes, to love even the ut terly unlovely. Volumes have been written on this subject, but here we must be satisfied just to state the fact and to ask ourselves the direct question. Do I manifest the love of God in my life? Well, do you? i ii The President and Horseshoe Pitching President Truman baa decided U build a horseshoe pitching court on the White House grounds. This should make America feel better. Uuch of the trouble that the world is in today is due to the fact few, If any, rulers have been horseshoe pitchers. ? There Is something about horse shoe pitching that keeps a man cool, eases his nerves and lessens the chances of his doing anything cock eyed. We bad a few horseshoe pitch ers among our earliest Presidents, and their administrators were the most peaceful in history. ? Perhaps in these troubled times of irascibility, frenzied disputes, hair ? trigger decisions, impa tience, with the other fellow's view point and the itch to settle every thing overnight, horseshoe pitching may save civilization! ? Had Adolf Hitler ever gone in for pitching horseshoes the yen to con quer the world would never have developed. In your wildest dreams can you picture Mussolini fooling around with a horseshoe? ? On with the horseshoe stuff. Harry! You're no genius in states manship. You are not the wisest ruler of the day. But nevertheless 'When the atomic bomb crisis agitates the great men of the earth, when potentates on all sides are shout ing at one another and when so many big men have so many hot ideas for causing trouble. It will be good to know that you spend a little time each day out behind the White House pitching horseshoes. ? ? ? Circus Memories The circus is back in New York, and thousands of big city kids will be thrilled no end. But we pity the kid who never knew the circus In a small town. Back home in our boy hood it was the event of the year. The first flush of posters on the bill boards kindled our imagination. . . . we were sleepless for nights before the great day . . . and we were up at 3:30 a. m. the morning the big show arrived. ... It was always unloaded in the freight yards down at Tnna WVtarf rtff Wotor strnat onH what a thrill it was to hear the locomotive whistles and then see the circus trains pull in, unload and start on the five-mile trek to the circus grounds, which used to be hi Elm City park back of the Hublnger mansion. After the unloading had pro gressed an hour or so, we hustled to the grounds to see the tents go up. . . . The rat-tat-tat of the stake drivifig crews . . . the rumble of the wagon wheels . . . the smell of tambark and hay ... the aroma of lamb chops and boiled potatoes from the cook-tent ... oh, boy I We generally managed to get a job leading a pony th a parade and got a free pass to the show. ? ? ? The "O" has been knocked out of mLNO" which now becomes officially which make* it sound like an In dian grunt. Now if they would only toko the ufr out it seams to us it would per sonalise its message tremendously? ? ? ? A bead of the Mexican baseball leagne threatens to complain to the American ambassador about an American baseball player who has quit the league. The matter may get before the United Nations se curity council. Which is a fine Idea. It would give the organisation ter rific press notices, especially if any delegate walked out ? ? ? General MacArthur recommends that the Japanese adopt the A.B.C. alphabet. The Japs are satisfied that they were nuts to stage the re cent war and they may be ready to admit that the Jap alphabet drove them crazy. But we still doubt that the Japs will seem any less warlike because they spell, "Does the cat see the nir our way. Soon wo ihall bo hearing of the worthy citizen who tlerted life on ? shoestring end ultimately acquired e furnished room. ? Isn't It about time the book clubs began selecting the book clubs of the month? ? ? ? Laugh of the Year?The announce ment. with a aober face, by OPA enforcement agenta at this lata date that wholesale butchers have been forcing retailers to make "tie-in" purchases I ? ? ? PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN "This is aa outrage," he declares When la a subway Jam; "There oaght to bo a law!" be screams, "What do they think I amf" . . . His squawks are terrifying, eh. They can be heard a mile? Bat at the race track bo will stand And take It with a smOe. ? e ? The old league of Nations is now closing tn Switzerland. It is surpris ing everybody by a display of firm ness in this procedure. NEEDLECRAFT PATTERNS Youngster's Embroidered Sunsuit LET the youngsters soak up sun in gaily embroidered sunsuits; each takes less than 1 yard of fabric! Appliqued boat and chicks. Never set a vise or bowl of flow ers in a draft. If you do, they will soon wilt. ??? Sitting on the edge of a bed causes the mattress to sag. Heavy paper bags in which clothes are returned from the cleaners make excellent storage coverings for bedding. Place bed ding in the bag and seal the ends with gummed paper, scotch tape, or adhesive. Mend any breaks or cracks in the bag. For moth protec tion, see that bedding is clean, and that the bag contains some moth preventive. ??? Slip buttons over a wire hairpin and twist the ends together the minute buttons are removed from the garment. Drop them into your regular button box and they're < ready when you need them. ?a? To give a pleasing aroma to your household linens, store scented soaps with them. ?o? Never crowd the rinse tub. Clothes must move freely under water to get the soap out. Also lift each piece of clothing up and out of water when rinsine clothes. Otherwise dirt in the soiled water remains in the fabric. 'JwaA fcmbahJiaAMnq Wlomjud fcfi ?h& Xadij. After having completed her spring housecleaning, a housewife found (as who doesn't) that she had a lot of junk which should be hauled away. But after several days seeking, she was unable to find a man to do the job. Then one morning as she was about to give up the idea, she saw a truck com ing along the street heavily loaded with an assortment of articles. Running to the curb, she hailed the driver, and when he pulled up to a stop, she told him she had a load of trash she would like to have him cart away. Drawing himself up with all the dignity he possessed, the man re plied: "Lady, I'll have you know I'm not hauling trash! We're mov ing!" A 1-yard remnant, plus scraps for appliques, makes each suit Pattern 909 has transfer of 2 bibs, pocksta. pat tern pieces for sizes 1. S. S and i Due to an unusually largo demand and current conditions, slightly more time Is required tn filling orders for a few of the most popular pattern numbers. Send your order to: ^ Sewing Circle NeedUcraft Dept. SS Eighth Ave. New fork Enclose SO cents for Pattern. Address Returning Binoculars The job of returning all of the 8,000 binoculars which the navy borrowed from the public is un likely to be finished before the summer of 1947, as each instru ment is reconditioned, suitably en graved and a certificate of its war service prepared for its owner be fore it is sent back to him. Ha 'Set OStdBmi SOUS as mat as Heels seat Hate yea bene yam sheas repaired. MORE MILEAGE WUn GREATER _ cumtvKi. CANT YOU SLEEP? ITTHEN the (treat at modern W li vinj "on your aiiu* a food aedathra am do a lot to leaaen nervous tension, to makn jron more comfortable, to permit restful deep Next time a day'e work and worry or a night's wakefulness, makes yon Irritable. Eastleas aa Jumpy?fives you Nervous Head ache ar N? reus Is ill#asllaa. try Miles NERVINE Liquid ar Ilarmmt Tablets) Milm Nervine is a time-tested aedathra that baa been btiugiuf relief bom Functional Nersom Dit turfaaoces for acrty yean yet ia aa up-to-Ate aa tbia morning a news paper. Liquid SSa and ll-O*, Effer vescent tablets 35e and Tie. CAUTION?Take only as Erected. Get sweeter, tastier breadl use FLEISCHMANN'S fresh ? - i FULL-STRENGTH I FVischmann's fresh actus Yeast starts working right sway! All the strength of the yeast brings out all the flavorful goodness of your bread. Be surer of sweet taste?light texture?fragrant freshness every timet IF YOU BAKE AT HOME, inaiat on Fleiachmann's full-strength, fresh actum Yeast with the familiar yellow label De pendable?America'a favorite yeast k for over 70 years. i
The Alamance Gleaner (Graham, N.C.)
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May 2, 1946, edition 1
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