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— <<} MILITARY FACTS BEHIND THE TRON CURTAIN. NOTE : this dispatch = but this is sere is bused on a convex sation of this observer with a high active military man of one of Russia's Military Satellites. This man is technically a fine soldier, and a man whose Western sympathies are above doubt? While the technical facts which he brought with him can never be re= vealed, he gave this observer a few general facts on the Satellite forces and their work with the Russians, which are of paramount importance for everyone to knowe The facts about the Russian and S,tellite forces - all the Satellite forces = which in the assessment of the_whole nilitary end political situation are of the decisive influence, = can be summarized as follows 3 : s 1 / The standurdizution and Russifieation of the Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Rumanian, Albanian and Bulgarian forces has reached a degree, that these armies findementaliy can no longer bé distinguished from the Red Army of Russiae The integration has been achieved, or will be fully achieved by the end of 19536 Already today, the Chiefs of Staff of each one of these armies is a graduate of a Soviet Military Academy and a man of long ser= vice ún the Russian Armye This standardization is fully extended on weaponse 2 / The whole organization of the Satellite as well as of the Soviet Amy is for offensive warfaree The weapons, espe= cially the artillery, the motorized and heavy equipment, are used solely in view of offensive operations. The manoeuvers of these forces during this year have all been made on the assumption of an offensive war waged against the enemye Lverything is prepared exclusively in view of lightming=blows at the enemye 3 / The so-called fortifications built in Hungary, Czecho-Slovakia, East Germany etce are not military fortificationse They are light lines of bunkers made exclusively for the control of people who want to cross the borders illegally or as protec= tion against light border skimishes, in which not more than light machineguns are used. They would have absolutely no use in the case of modem warfare with artillery. 4 / The value of the so-called Satellite forces for the Soviet Ugion is steadily increasing with the entry into the forces a málé
