NEWS OF THE WEEK
HILE the situation on the Eastern front remains as exhilarating as ever the situation in Normandy is disappointing, not to v depressing, in spite of the useful advance of General Bradley's merican force between Lessay and St. Lo. On the Caen front last eek's offensive quickly worked itself to a standstill—not as a result adverse weather conditions—and this week, after making small
vances in a new attack, General Montgomery has not merely been eld by Rommel but had to abandon part of the inconsiderable mount of ground gained. At the Supreme Headquarters Allied xpeditionary Force the expression " a quite serious setback " was sed, and it is certainly better to take that view of the situation than o try to gloss over its unwelcome aspects. Heavy preliminary air mbardment does not appear to have yielded decisive results, and he Allied front in Normandy is still too short, and its reliance on articular beach-heads for supplies and communications too great, for uch in the way of tactical surprises to be achieved. Rommel can arely fail to divine where the next blow is to fall. There is no oubt something in the contention of an Allied spokesman in ormandy that we can well afford to go on as we are going because ur superior resources must turn the scale in a war of attrition, but t is a disappointment to be reduced to single frontal attacks on the asschendaele or Messines model. There is not yet sufficient room or manoeuvre in Normandy, and unfortunately what there is is being materially increased. Hitler's strategy, in presenting so esperate a resistance in Normandy and letting Russia sweep on to e very borders of the Reich, is a little perplexing.
