Page Six SBE bI De 22 1) (6) 15) by Yugoslav Guerrilla Army Wages Fight For Freedom By VELIMER VLABOVIC HE struggle of the peoples of Yugoslavia for liberation from the fascist invaders and their qui Guerrilla Army under Kosta Nadic, former Spanish loyalist commander, and occupation troops. have taken part in some operations during the past few months. Following stubborn winter and spring battles that developed in Eastern Bos enormous difficulties in shortage of provisions, equipment and uniforms, regroupe simultaneously where the biggest guerrilla formations were? active. Helped by small guerrilla detachments and shock groups operating in the vicinity of railways and big cities, the main guerrilla forces attacked along a front between Sarejevo and Mostar. One of their primary tasks seizure of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Railway — was executed in 48 hours. The offensive developed particularly successfully in Bosan- ska Kraina and in Slovenia. In the course of one month -the guerrilla army liberated some 30 towns from the occupationists and several hundred inhabited points. Practically all the territory be- tween the Adriatic shore and the Zagreb-Banja lLuka-Sarajevo | several air UGGESS of the July offensive led to an upsurge of the people’s liberation struggle throughout Yugoslavia, particularly in Croatia. The occupationists were compelled to hurl large numbers of artillery, squadrons and tanks against the guerrillas and even used the Italian fleet to shell the posi- tions of guerrillas along the shore of the Adriatic Sea. In August the guerrillas were entrenched on lib- erated territories. September was marked by a new line upsurge of the euerrilla’ struggle. was controlled by guerrillas. In the ans = = ae towns of Tsazin, Foinitsa, north in a triangle between the Vrein-Most and Jajea were liber- old YWugoslav-Austrian and Yug0-|.ie6q and a heavy defeat was in- slav- Italian border, on the terri- toria of Slevenia, the guerrillas formed a second big “guerrilla land,” consisting of the liberated towns of Trzic, Jesentits, Kamnik and Zuzenberg. In this offensive the guerrillas tied down 17 Italian, some four or five German and four Hungar- ian divisions. The fascists lost 10,400 killed alone, while 4700 were taken prisoner. From captured supplies, existing battalions were armed and weapons furnished to new detachments. flicted on German and Ustasi units in the Banoa-Luki sector and at Sitnitsa and Kadin Vod. The oc cupationists were dislodged from fortified positions and hurled back to Banja-Luka, The latest operation, carried out towards the end of September, was the assault of the most heavily fortified Bosnia town of Japca. The guerrillas had to oust the fascists from about 100 pillboxes and from an ancient fortress over- looking all the approaches to the city. nia, the Sanjak, Montenegro and Herzegovina, guerrilla units, surmount ; d their forces and last July launched offensive operations on all sectc” slings has grown into a real war between units of the Peopl Big formations, numbering up to 100,000 men on each si} November 11, 19 vei : salen ani aiyeapusinel cane Jajea is a railway junction and the centre of the chemical industry. A powerful hydroelectric power station on the Plive River supplies the town's chemical plants and the fortress with electricity. The Germans organized the pro- duction of poison gases in the town, particularly mustard gas. The director and chief engineer of the chemical plant — both Germans — were arrested by workers of the plant and handed over to the head- quarters of the guerrilla units. Con- siderable supplies were captured, including 6 guns, 400 rifles, 1 armor- ed car and 5 locomotives. In street fighting the guerrillas wiped out 300 fascists and took about 500 soldiers and 7 officers prisoners. In addition to units of the guer- tilla army, separate guerrilla. de- tachments, operate in the country. In September these detachments destroyed the railway stations of Jasenovats, Javornik, Rudopole, Brestovats, Peshenitsa, Mratslin and others, situated on central rail- way lines. Alarmed by the success of the People’s Guerrilla Army, the oc- ecupationists have intensified their reign of terror in the country. They are burning whole villages and even towns and murdering innocent peo- ple. But no atrocities are able to shake the courage of the freedom- loving peoples of Yugoslavia who have risen up in mortal struggle for their freedom and independence. Bruce Minton in New Masses Time Is Not On Our Side ie IS imperative to realize that time is not on the side of the United Nations. The first three years of war enormously improved the Axis position both in manpower and materi- als. The chart which appears below tells most of the story al- most at a glance. One element alone is lacking: the time ele- ment. A good part of what the Axis gained remains only a po- tential lands and mines, factories and power plants must be repaired and worked before the enemy can benefit from his conquests. The chart, based on figures compiled by E. W. Pehrson, chief of economics and statistics, U.S. Bureau of Mines, shows Axis increases in materials and manpower—if the Axis is allowed to realize them. True, the figures are only compara- tive, based on 1940 production levels. Since then, the United Nations have intensified their production methods so that in many instances the ratios have improved for the Allies. But then, the Axis has also upped its rate of production. The statistics do not take into account Axis advances since | April of this year; fortunately these gains were not too con- siderable, though the Nazis did win another two or three per- cent of the world’s petroleum, thereby improving supplies of their most critical war defici- ency. Clearly, the Axis has done well in three years—alarmingly well. Crucial war shortages have been. satisfactorily over- come. A United Nations’ offensive in the West, a land front in Europe striking at the heart of the Axis, can prevent the enemy from enjoying this needed JIeisure. While the scorched earth policy does not keep land out of production forever or render mines and factories useless indefinitely, it does prevent immediate strengthening of the enemy’s war capacity. “Thousands of enterprises and factories, can- neries, flour mills and so forth —all that must operation,’ said Hitler in his latest speech. “All of it is de- stroyed,” he complained. And then he expressed the Nazi hope: ‘While we are on the defensive in northern Europe as in the west, we gain thereby all necessary conditions for the be put into. necessary organization of Europe, with regard to this war.” Are we to allow the fascists new strength by granting them the opportunity to bolster their badly depleted economy? Hit- ler yearns for a breathing spell. To attack him now in Europe will force him to fight before his conquests have brought new comfort, before he can recuper- ate from the gigantic and dis- astrous expenditures of the seventeen month invasion of the USSR. admit that they miscalculated Winter... Already the first snow has fallen .. Prospect of spending another winter in Russia fills German soldiers with despair. —MOSCO! EVER before in the course of the war has a change in ¢ weather caused such despair among the Germans at ft front and in Germany proper. The Nazis have been forced and were ill-prepared for ¢£- winter operations a year ago. All summer Nazi propagandis have been busy “ending the war in the east” simultaneous with preparing for the winter now almost upon them. The fierce fighting continuing in Stalingrad and at the Caucasus with the Red Army showing no signs of letting up its magnificent resistance, is positive proof of how the German plans have again mis- earried. Goebbels’ latest speech at Munich further reflects this fact, and at the same time is an admis- sion that the advent of winter is regarded with misgivings by the German population, misgivings that are making themselves felt. The Nazis still nurse the hope of gaining the upper hand in the time element. They did their utmost to ‘ing all their reserves utilize their breathing spell in the west. Now they are frantically at- tacking in the Soviet south, throw- into action and thus striving to force the issue. The Nazis have two factors to reckon with today — the possibility of a radical change in the west and |the laws of nature. Whether the opening of the second front mater- ializes or not in time to frustrate the Nazis’ “last chance,” the advent of winter is already inexorably making itself felt. The first snow flakes have made their short ap- |pearance in Moscow. Before long | Moscow's fields will be covered iwith a snowy blanket. The Nazis are well aware of this. e VERY German soldier and his family has made a thorough study of Russian geography and climate during the past year. And whereas the Moscow climate makes the Germans shudder, the prospects of a winter out in the Stalingrad area actually petrifies them. They | already envisage raging blizzards in the open steppe that is sparsely dotted with inhabited points. And today, with the rain pouri down without interruption and t’ cold biting winds sweeping ¢t steppe, the Nazis are fighting d perately. fe In order _to calm the populati in the rear, the Nazi radio 4 nounced that the issuance of wint equipment at the front has he- eompleted. It is possible that t_ minds of the German populati” in the rear have been set at ea but as for the front the Nazis a” their satellites are skeptical, tos the least. Even the Italians, who only 7 cently were content to sit in thi dugouts near the Don northwest Stalingrad have lately tried to “oa tain” winter quarters. - The Soviet troops repelled th attack, dislodging the Italians fre three heights, Some % soldiers in quest of a “warm spt remained on the battlefield. The following morning the Fj Army men were surprised to fi that overnight a “battle for t, dead’ had been fought. A neig boring Rumanian unit had stripE their dead Italian Allies of th ‘winter outfits.” The German soldiers, too, are t happy or over-confident at prospects at Stalingrad. One officer, has repeatedly told his compar “You have to fight for all you worth and Stalingrad has to taken. Only there will we be sé from the horrors of a winter this desert.” He certainly convir ed his men — some of them he given up all hope of ever winteri in Stalingrad ... they surrender Axis Resources Before 1939 and at the Present Time (In percentages of world total) iy Rs a So5 700 Itali | t . Lieutenant Malz - gg TA Pw ipat nk oogngs ott Gaal wie Geel. BEFORE BEFORE THE WAR NOW THE WAR ~ NOW BiG tes Taal a7 oan eee eae 13% 6%... Tunpsten’. 8-45 60% 10%. Population = ee 35% 11% Copper (refining capacity) .. 11% 5% Mineral resources (total) ......... 33% 10 fe Zine (refining capacity) 44°70 6% Iron ore A6 Gf 1 £0 Nickel snes poset ete Sa aa oa as te 53% Mercury 20% Steel production capacity ........ 34% 2% Antimony 17% Petroleum — 77o 839, - Aluminum... 38 ee 54% 21%. Coal a 58% — 19%, Bauxite 2 50% 5% Copper (mine production) -...... 10% 0 Rubber 2 ee See 90% (pe betel ee 22 Jo 0 Gotten (2 eee S18 16 Ze Zine (mine production) 279% 10% Wheat ee A0 % 7 Zo YP ARTEY ease Se { 14%. *Gucar = eee 36% 27o Manganese (Figures based on statistics of U.S. Bureau of Min Senet hromer ee eee and on production figures for 1940).