AFTER CASABLANCA

Evening Star, Issue 24415, 29 January 1943, Page 2

AFTER CASABLANCA

CONFIDENCE IN BRITAIN U-BOAT PERIL HAS SOBERING EFFECT (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) (llec. 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, .Jan. 28. The first review - of tho goud news from Casablanca, .Russia, and Tripoli, coupled with radio warnings to the Gorman people, followed by the announcement of " drastic measures ". in Germany to meet the crisis caused by' the reverse on the Russian front—all these events have added to the growing national confidence. This has been deliberately tempered by warnings of the perils of the U-boat campaign. It has been the lack of any announcement from Casablanca regarding new measures against the U-boats which is one of the tew grounds of criticism heard here so far of the Casablanca Council. There has apparently been more general criticism in America than in England—judging by newspaper comment—but then there is no figure iiere who is filling the same role as Mr Wendell Willkie. The British public are chiefly surprised that the meeting was held at Casablanca, also that President Roosevelt flew there. Newspaper comment about a coming statement, coupled with the recent lack of speeches by Mr Churchill or photographs, suggested to many that he might be abroad, but few guessed correctly. Generally speaking, it is right to say that the conference has given wide satisfaction here, lacking the criticisms which are evidently going on on the other side of the Atlantic. The public realises that ifc was chiefly a military conference, and that the results will be shown by events throughout the world. INTER-FRENCH RELATIONS.

The general opinion is that the Giraud-de Gaulle statement was enigmatical, and subsequent reports stating that de Gaulle was not publicised in Algeria tend to confirm the opinion that the relations between the Fighting French and the Frenchmen of North Africa are still not running smoothly.

" You will be hearing more of this." Mr Churchill told a correspondent at Casablanca, commenting on the council, and the British public is awaiting expectantly a speech by Mr Churchill to the House of Commons or on the radio. BATTLE OF TUNIS.

Somehow, perhaps by reason of the Casablanca meeting, there is a feeling growing that the battle of Tunis may not after nil be so full of extreme difficulties as was at first thought; and that Rommel, while he swells the numbers of Germans in Tunisia, is taking a defeated army there, which is not an unmixed blessing. It is believed unlikely, however, that there will be definite action in Tunis until March, by which tini" the rains will be stopping.

These rains, as one commentator observed, develop into at least 12in of slimy mud. GERMANY. On' 1 interesting aspect of the war recently has been the '' frank " talks to the German people by their leaders and newspapers. Thus the Berlin ' Boersen Zeitung ' stated: "The position of Germany to-day is as critical as that of Rome during Hannibal's attack or England during the Battle of Britain We must show the same power ■of,-.resistance as the British in 1940." These warnings, it is felt, were a. prelude to the new war measures which duly appeared in the big new call-up to arms factories announced by broadcast and j ii an article by Dr Goebbels. It is believed that they foreshadow the proclamation of a series of stringent measures which Hitler may announce in his anniversary speech on Saturday. It is believed that Germany's man power position has deteriorated more than was expected in the Jast three months, which is partly due to the Russian offensive, also the additional strain of the total occupation of France and the taking of defensive measures along the European south coast. Germany, so far fed on a series of successes, has now been given a diet of reverses for the first time. .It possibly may have some-effect on morale. Retaliation by the Luftwaffe in the form of J'urher" bombing of" Britain so far has not rieveloned, and there is no evidence that the Germans are building up forces in Western Europe for that purpose The one unhappy feature of the past week's news has been the tragedy at the Lewist School, where six teachers and 47 children were killed l)v a bomb in the recent daylight raid. Tliirty-one children and one teacher were buried in a common grave yesterday, when 5,000 people attended. There was a harrowing scene at he graveside.