THE WAR TO DATE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 104, 30 October 1939, Page 7

THE WAR TO DATE

BRITISH SUMMARY

GONE WELL FOR ALLIES SO FAR

ACCORDING TO PLAN

SPECULATION ON FUTURE

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, October % 2B. The London weekly journals summarise the position of the war to date and make a diversity of speculations as to the future course of the • hostilities. The "Economist" recalls that Field-Marshal Goering's own journal has forecast a war raining down on the British Isles, 'and it comments: "The Avar we expected may indeed be coming. Nothing, however, can alter the fact that the Reich has had only small success so far. For the Allies the war has gone well and according to plan. The contraband control, the rooting out of U-boats, the mobilisation of two armies on the Western Front, the loyalty of Turkey, and the enemy's continued lack of allies—all these, when set beside the promise of vast aid from the Empire symbolised by the meeting of the Dominion Ministers in London this week, amply justify the confidence ;of the speeches 'broadcast in* the past few days by our War Minister, Mr. Hore-Belisha, and the Dominions Secretary, Mr. Eden." "It was the Allies who picked up economic warfare' as the aptest in- j strument to penetrate the Reich defences. It would seem that the enemy has duly accepted the. challengers' choice of weapons. . GERMAN FAILURES. "The German, attacks on the British Fleet, the lynch-pin of the Allies' stranglehold on German commerce, have so far failed, and the convoyed merchant ships have proved safe against the Nazis' U-boats and bombers. Now a third weapon is at work—the fast armed raider. The full force of the enemy's attack above and below water has still to be developed. In Europe a parallel trade .offensive to clamp the neutrals in the German block is going on. •'Neither facet of the Reich's economic warfare reflects much success. Th-2 captured Amerian vessel City of Flint had to be taken by the captor to a Russian port because the approaches to Germany were barred. The wished-for hegemony of European trade can neither knock out Britain nor fill up the gaps in Germany's supplies. Nor, indeed, do the neutrals want it." HITLER'S LOST INITIATIVE. The "Spectator" says: "A week ago confident predictions came from Berlin of an impending visit to Germany by the Russian Premier, M. Molotov, and the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, for conversations of the first moment which would result in the issue of a tripartite declaration no less momentous. The visits have not been paid and the declaration has not materialised, nor is there the least prospect that it will. The intentions of Rome and Moscow as proclaimed from Berlin are now rarely identical with the intentions of Rome and Moscow as evident by Italian and Russian action—or, as in this case, inaction. Indeed, Herr Hitler, who initiated the war, has already lost the initiative. He also has lost all his potential allies, with the doubtful but admittedly important exception of Russia. "Neither his submarine nor aerial attacks have produced results calcuilated to dismay us or to gratify him," the "Spectator" continues. "The winter that is now setting in will fall with far heavier rigour on the Germans in the Siegfried Line than on the Allies in the Maginot Line, and also more heavily on the German population at home than on the French and British. SACRIFICES FOR VICTORY. "The immense efforts for which the British Dominions are preparing have barely begun to make themselves felt, and the amendment of the Neutrality Bill in the United States will open our 'access to almost inexhaustible supplies of munitions. ♦'But, while all this is true, it does not justify any sort of facile optimism. Herr Hitjer is in full control of the German people. He has now given up all hope of a bloodless victory, and, since he cannot force a protracted war, he may strike swiftly and hard. The. civil and military conferences in Berlin this week suggest that. The war may. well be about to enter another and stern phase. By tend, sea, and air as well as in the diplomatic field, all the advantages appear to be with the' Allies, but it must be recognised that victory avOI only be bought by heavy sacrifice." WHAT WILL NAZIS DO NEXT? The "New Statesman" says: "The war in the west is so far little more than a mutual blockade. Whether the fNazi mentality can long maintain a defensive war such as the British and French envisage, we have yet to see. Herr yon Ribbentrop's violent speech may herald a change. Or it may not. Herr Hitler is a cautious and crafty enemy, and his air marshals and gene- i rals may not wish to risk a boomerang I throw. There is at least a chance of I a further period of prudence, of I manoeuvres to the accompaniment of mainly economic hostilities." "Time and Tide" says: "There has j been much guessing as to what Herr Hitler's next move will be. A big offensive in. the west would seem out of the question this year. Even now th-a weather has made military operations almost impossible. It is widely believed that, there will be ah aerial offensive against the British naval bases, docks, and' shipping. Such be-1 liefs are purely speculative. So far Field-Marshal Goering's much-vaunted air force has not been very impressive, and, unit for unit, it would appear to be much inferior to the R.A.F. ' NO REAL WAR TILL SPRING. "The general prospect would seem to be that for the rest of 1939 the winter will be used for intense preparation by Germany, consolidating, and perhaps extending, her eastern conquests in the meantime. It does not look as though the war will begin in re-il! earnest till the spring." | ii !: Bj special arrangement aeuters- world service, in addition to olhei special source? <iJ information. Is used In the compilation of rlie oversens Intelligence published in Uiif issue. and all rights therein in Australia on" New Zealand are reserved. Such of tiio cable news on fhls page as is so beaded haa appeared in /"The Times" and is cabled to ..ustralia and' New Zealand by thai the opinions are not those or "The Timea" unless expressly stated to be bo.