THEN AND NOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 209, 5 September 1939, Page 12

THEN AND NOW.

" LAMPS GO OUT."

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER

HISTORY'S TRAGIC CYCLE,

Tragically, history is repeating itself. Twenty-fivp years and cine month ago Great Britain declared war on Imperial Germany, led by Kaiser Wilhelm. Kaiser Wilhelm is now the "gentleman at Doom''—exiled sinee the fall of his regime, his army and his country. Yesterday Great Britain declared war once more on Germany—this time Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler. The tragic cycle of the years lias brought once more the pall of war. The words of Karl Grey of Falloden again to-day ring out with fateful truth: "The lamps are going out all over Kurope."

These were the words of a man who. history has shown, strove unremittingly for peace. Great Britain's leader on this occasion, Mr. Xeville Chamberlain, might equally well have the same judgment passed by history. He. too. has striven for peace, even to the last bitter moment, and in his words on Sundav declaring that Britain was in a state of war with Germany was the intense sorrow of a man who saw his efforts for peace crash to ruin. Britain and France Again. This day news has come—expected news that trance is once more joined with Britain as an ally in the face i>f the common menace. So it was twentv-tive years ago, but in this day, so long has the menace loomed, it is a mightier alliance, as strong in spirit and in conviction oi right, and vastly more powerful in material preparation. The legend of the "Contemptible Little Army" will not on this occasion lie repeated. Germany then was a vast military machine dedicated to war. So she is now: but while, in I!H4. Britain was ill-prepared, she stands now in a full panoply of war. France, too, is ready.

lii oilier regards tlioro is a vnst difference between tlie l situation of the camps. In 1 wenty-live years tin- \erv face of Kuro|>e lias ilia nged. and new I lowers have iimic into being. \o longer is there an Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Treaty of Versailles in an effort to recognise the spirit nf nationality gave Europe the names of Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. It also created. Poland, the country which, to-day, has become the first seat of the conflict.

In the Great War Italy and Russia were aligned with Britain, while Japan was friendly. In this tense moment the position of all these three powers is uncertain. Soviet Russia is tied to Germany by a treaty, the exact implications of which are not yet known. Italy has declared her neutrality, hut the sequence of events in recent years would seem to show that her sympathy s lie with Germany rather than *-i;h the democracies. . .fapan. already at war with China, has also declared her neutrality. Her position, i-.owevcr, s no much bound up with ♦he attitude of Russia that her ultimate action can. at this stage, be a matter only tor speculation.

America, Turkey and Belgium must also be considered. Turkey Ims changed sides. She has definitely taken a stand with the democracies. Belgium, the cockpit of Europe in th,\ Jfcst struggle, is this time neutral and so far. at least, events have not forced her into the struggle. America came late, but clfectively. into the last war. on the -ide of the Allies. At the start she was neutral, with conflicting opinions and sympathies. This time, again, her President lias expressed the hope tliftt she will be able to remain unentangled: but her national sentiment seem* so much more strongly on the side of Britain that even if she does li.-t take an active part, her indirect assistance should }>•• much greater to the Allies in the early stages of the conflict.

So far, in this conflict, Germainstands alone as the invader of Poland— as much an act of unjustified aggression as was the tearing up of the "Scrap of Paper" and the invasion of Belgium twenty-five years ago.

Side by side witli tlic consideration of a changed line-up of Powers must l>e taken t lie changes in strength of those Powers. Germany, a broken and defeated nation twenty-five years a;n, has been converted into a powerful military camp liy the rejziine of Hitler and his Xazi followers. On the face of it, Germany appears even stronger than she was when the for empire sent her against almost defenceless Belgium. It yet remains to l>e seen whetiier her revitalisation is as impressive in the spirit of her people as it would appear in the strength of her armour.

Austria, not altogether willingly, is now included in her boundaries. Czechoslovakia is also inside her bounds as a | conquered nation, which did not, in the moment of conquest, have a chance to fight. Large sections of Germany's own people have felt the heet of oppression. What effect these factors will have 011 her apparent strength we do not yet know. They are important factors, and they must he considered. Germany's Strength. Of Germany, particularly, it is difficult to say with any accuracy what her armed forces comprise, since she has been adding to her reserves of soldiery for a number of years, and her air force hfls not been estimated accurately by any observer. Roughly speaking, she is stated "to have a war strength of <>,000.000.

Her army is liiglilv mechanised. while strategic roads have been built through the length an<l breadth of her possessions. The number of her war 'planes was computed this year at l>etween f>ooo and 8000. Her naval tonnage is 500.(100. Everyone, too, will have heard of the "Western wall" —the # Siegfried Line, which is a gigantic fortress line between France and Germany. Competent observers, however, point out that while it took the French 11 years to bail 1 their Maginot Line, without any shortage of steel, Germany completed her "wall" in three years, with a serious j steel shortage.

Looming behind Germany stands Russia with - a- standing army of 10,000,000 trained reserves totalling 2,250,000, and an air arm of between 5000 and 8500 'planes. Her navel strength has been estimated at 306,000 tons, but this, at best, is only an approximation.

t Britain and France learned a bitter lesson in the last war. Britain, particularly, entered that war poorly prepared. She lia<l a small standing army, while the nation tinned a deaf ear to the plea of Lord Hoberts for tile introduction of compulsory military training. In the result 1914 found | Kngland with an expeditionary force of | IttO.OOO men, behind whom stood a ter . ritorial force. It took the genius of 'Lloyd George, moreover, to make the

c-ountrv realise that if Britain was going to win the war her men needed adequate supplies of ammunition. To that end lie turned the country into a vast munitions manufacturing centre.

The lessons learned then have borne fruit. Despite Britain's disarmament policy following th© war, which left her far behind in the race, once the need was realised the organisation was prepared. Thus it is to-day that the country is organised both directly and indirectly to meet all possible dangers. Spectacular evidence of this lies in the efficient evacuation of London's children in the past few days, and in the general civilian and military organisation to meet the possibilities of air raids and food shortages.

In the psychological field Britain has added strength. In the Great War, when the issues were practically identical, Britain took the shock of conflict with admirable spirit. It was shown in the gallant light of that first little expeditionary force, and in the endurance'and great courage with which the years of the war were faced. This time the jieople as well as the nation are prepared, and equally unified. That position is equally true with regard to France and Poland. I hrough the years the people have seen, with understanding and disillusioned eyes the rise of the Nazi menace, and now that the break has come they know the issues at stake. France's Power. Britain has still the mightiest navy in the world, while her air arm has been built up until now it is one of the greatest in the world. Owing to a comprehensive and concentrated building programme her navy has been built tip so rapidly that it is not possible to give exact figures of her strength today. She has, however, more than fifteen battleships and battle cruisers, more than sixty-one.cruisers and a tremendous strength of complementary vessels. Under the 1939-40 estimates there arc being built two battleships of -10,000 tons, two cruisers of.SOOO tons, and a host of smaller craft. The number of her aircraft is over 5700. Her army, is highly mechanised and the introduction of conscription will bring over a million to the colours. The strength of Britain cannot in this crisis be undercst imated.

To France mobilisation lias meant a -trength of N. 000,000 men, compared with 4,(1u11.D1M) in 1914, while competent. authorities have stated that be-cau-e of longer training periods, her army is the linest in Europe. It has long been iecugni>ed that her officers are the most highly -killed in tactics. This has been recognised by Britain in the appointment. of General Gamelin as the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces. In the Maginot Line, the strongest fortification in history, France has an almost impregnable frontier. That same line is planned for aggressive action. Her air force numbers over 4000 'planes.

Poland, now in the throws of war, has thrown over 2,000,000 men into the battle ranks. Her army, 100, is excellently equipped and officered, while her air force is far from being contemptible.