A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 1, 26 September 1939, Page 8

A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

In spite of the purposeful manner in which the Allies ate developing their campaign on land and sea, Germany appears still to be hoping for peace based on a fait accompli in Poland., An official broadcast picked up in America spoke of the Reich s war aims having been accomplished “now that the frontiers of Poland are adjusted.” It was again emphasized that Germany “has no quarrel with Britain and France.” Just so long cis the Nazis nurture this hope of. peace at then price, they are unlikely to precipitate major hostilities in the west or in the air. But the sands are running out. Neither Britain nor France has given the slightest indication of being prepared to listen to peace talk involving the extinction of Poland; in fact, they appear to be completely done with the Hitler brand of negotiation. They are pushing ahead steadily with the task they set out 23 dajs ago to perform. * * * * The week has begun in an atmosphere of comparative lull, but important events are shaping themselves. Chief among these is still the question of United States neutrality, which should be settled this week. Among the Democrats in Washington a “come and get it” plan is being canvassed as a jxossible alternative to the “cash and carry” system. Ihe difference appears to be simply in the method of payment for goods purchased by belligerents. Either method would give Britain and I’rance access to United States markets. Soviet Russia, having gobbled half of Poland, is reported to be eyeing tlie Baltic States. The republics of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland between them hold the whole of the north-eastern coastline of tlie Baltic, with the exception of 100 miles or so at the head of the Gulf of Finland. It appears that the Soviet is particularly interested at the moment in Finland, and is concentrating troops on the border north ot Leningrad. The Finns are looking to their defences. The Balkans situation is still hazy with speculation. Ihe London correspondent of the “New York Times” has advanced a new theory, namely, that a Balkans neutrality bloc, guaranteed by Russia, Italy and Turkey, is possible. Such a bloc, he says, may keep both the Balkans and the Mediterranean area out of the war, besides restricting German military activity in the east in general—and in the direction of Rumania in particular. * # * The German campaign in Poland has become largely a matter of battering down by degrees the remaining citadels, chief among which is Warsaw. In the last 48 hours the former Polish capital has been bombarded with the greatest intensity, and is facing a distressing military martyrdom. Unhappily, it is not practicable for tlie Allies at this stage, to respond to Warsaw’s appeals for direct aid. Had the Polish High Command been able to carry out what was expected of it and maintain effective resistance for at least a month or two, the Allied campaign in the west would have supplied relief. As it is, Warsaw is attempting to play the role assigned to the nation as a whole an effort as heroic as it is hopeless.

An important item in the news from the Western Front is that which deals with the movement of French heavy artillery. The consolidation of the line from Luxemburg south-east through the Saar has enabled French siege pieces to be brought up into prepared positions. A testing time for the nearest West Wall fortifications appears to be imminent. Meanwhile there is increased activity on the right of the front. German pressure lias been applied in the south of the Palatinate, near the Rhine, but the attacks have been repulsed.