Not so Wonderful

Franklin Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 42, 17 April 1940, Page 2

Not so Wonderful

RUSSIA’S VALUE TO GERMANY “It has to be remembered that the gauge of the Russian railways is different from the German and that Ihe German rolling stock and permanent way, as the number of recent accidents has shown, are in a bad | state and need of renewal. Russian help might be invaluable, but only alter a long period of reorganisation which she could not carry out and nught long hesitate to allow Germany to carry out for her. On the most favourable interpretation of Russia’s power and willingness to assist Germany, her help to meet scarcity in Germany, caused by the British blockade, would not be considerable even by the end of 1940. As though these difficulties were not sufficient Russia has increased them

by, gratuitously and without any

reasonable excuse, entering on a war of brutal aggression against Finland. Whatever power and energy she had to spare to help Germany under our blockade must inevitably be lessened by this war. In addition this war, in which Stalin expected a victory as easy as Hitler's over Austria and Czechoslovakia, has produced a revelation of incompetence in high places which has gone far to destroy the Russian military legend, every Russian disaster must serve to weaken the German faith in the political ability of Hitler. To have been capable of so little against

a Power with only one-fourth of her population must bring home- lo every German the folly of the Russian Agreement which caused Hitler to

! make Ihe gamble of a war with Britain j and France.”—“Scrutator,” in the • "Sunday Times,” of London.