HIGHLIGHTS from THE CABLES

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 306, 28 December 1939, Page 7

HIGHLIGHTS from THE CABLES

BRITAIN GUARDS HER WAR PUR!

/X)UPLED -with an acute world-wide shortage of skilled labour there has been an increase in unemployment in many countries since the outbreak of war. These the outstanding features of an economic survey just concluded by the International Labour Office of the League of Nations. The unemployment situation contrasts strike ingly with that of twenty-five years ago, when the immediate effect of the war was such a huge mobilisation of manpower as to create a labour shortage in every direction. To-day the death toll on land is infinitesimal," and the loss at sea is also smaller than in the last war. These facts have completely upset the calculations of neutrals which anticipated such a demand for war supplies and materials as would set the wheels of industry whirring as seldom before. The United States, particularly, has been disappointed by the rigid buying control of the Allies, and by the measures taken by Britain to develop Empire resources. A huge reservoir of manufactures is re-

MANNERHEIM'S MEW THROW BACK THE RED

"U/ATCH Slannerheim," said Sir Paul . . Dukes, former Chief of the British Intelligence Service, early this month, when the Finns had been fighting for only a few days. At that time there were grave fears that the defenders would be overwhelmed by the huge mail-power of the Soviet, but again to-day, as twenty years ago, the sturdy Finns have found the weakness of the Russians. "Mannerheim is the man who will stiffen the backs of the Finns against the Soviet," said Sir Paul Dukes. "He is not only a great general. He is also a clever statesman and a national hero. The Soviets particularly detest and fear him. He conquered them once, and that is why they insistently demand his dismissal." Mannerheim has under him an ariny which is quite insignificant in numbers when compared with the Reds, but the Finns are hardy fighters, who come from a rape of adventurous sportsmen.

ported to be accumulating in the United States, where production is on a higher level than in the palmy days before the depression, and millions of tons of American equipment will be available if required for an offensive in the spring. But if it is not required, what then? The United States is one of the few countries where employment has increased, but can it be maintained? Already it is realised that the Allies are putting into practice the financial lessons learned in 1914-18, and Allied purchasing pools have been in operation since the war was less than a month old. New Zealand, Australia and Canada are actively co-operating with Britain to conserve foreign funds, and the Empire's economic system is being keyed up to war pitch. Empire gold stocks ar* the 1914 totals, gold production is up 50 per cent, copper production has been increased 15 times over, and oil production is nearly eight times as great as in 1914. In cotton, wheat and foodstuffs the Empire is also more selfsupporting than it was then.

On skis they are adepts. From the comfortable dugouts of the Mannerheim Line they go out, wrapped in woollen jumpers, leather jackets, wool leggings and white capes, with skis strapped to their feet, and swiftly and silently patrol the difficult terrain on Finland's frontier. With the aid of tank traps, land mines, mined lakes and machinegun nests, a small force might throw into confusion an invading army. Under such conditions, when the landscape is mantled in snow, the defender has a great advantage. When, as in the present case, the attacker is apparently poorly equipped, ill-provi-sioned and untrained in Arctic warfare, the superiority of a defending force is' tremendously increased. Twenty years of preparation have enabled the Finns to overcome many of the handicaps of limited man-power, and to-day 300,000 soldiers are able to put up a remarkable defence on a frontier of 1000 miles.