A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 109, 1 February 1940, Page 10

A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Another effort to convince the world that the Allies started the war has been made by Hitler in an unexpected Nazi anniversary day speech. .His new stow is that he ‘'attempted to foicstall the conflict, but the democratic ogres were intent upon the destruction of peaceable Germany. "I he first phase of the struegle is now ovei and the second can start.”' Hitler said, proceeding with his usual boasts, sneers and threats. One other sentence deserves repeating. “Me cannot longer tolerate,” said Hitler, “British possession of a quarter of the globe, or France’s disproportionate holdings.” Here, naked, are the Nazi war aims. According to the Berlin correspondent of the "New York l imes,'' reports of Nazi atrocities in Poland, circulating in Getmanv, are even graver than those published abroad. Iney bate caused pulilic alarm. » * * * * An enemy air raider has been shot down ovei Yatmouth. It was one of a number of machines \vhicli on 1 uesday attacked shipping in the North Sea near the knglish coast. Ihe results of the raid were meagre, but in their operations against font ships the nil - men displayed the same ruthlessness towaid non-combatants that has marked other recent attacks. . . ' . Public feeling in Denmark is running high over the sinking oi two of that country's ships, the England and the bredensboig. *'* * * Aerial warfare in .Finland is intensifying, and it is reported from Helsinki that the mass raid by 200 Red machines at the beginning ot this week was the most destructive of the war. It is estimated that 800 bombs were dropped on 33 objectives. 80 casualties being caused. .... . Reinforcements lor the Finnish air force ai e beginning to aiiit e and heavier counter-blows are expected. Already a cei tain Russian harbour and a railway station ’ have been bombed. Ihe Finnish coastal defences at the head of the southern gulf are hitting back cllcctivelv at .Russian warships which ai e taking p.ut in the attempt to break'the western Hank of the Mannerheim I .inc. What is more, the Finns on land have launched a strong counteroffensive in the central area. According to a correspondent of "The Times” of London it is progressing successfully. On other fronts (he Finns are standing firm.

A report from Belgrade claims that the Reich is so short of oil that several thousand tons of lubricant have been sent from Bohemia, causing a shortage there. Another Belgrade message states Yugoslavia’s conviction that the Balkans are in no wav threatened. This is alleged to have been disclosed in a confidential message from the Foreign Minister to newspaper editors, mistakenly broadcast from a radio station.