BATTLE FOR BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1940, Page 8

BATTLE FOR BRITAIN

HITLER’S BLOCKADE PLANS EARLY DECISION SOUGHT [BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, December 4. “The Times” says that Herr Hitler is convinced that adventure in the East cannot bring speedy victory. He is anxious about the growing'strength of Britain and a possible weakening of the German spirit, and is making a new attempt to secure an early decision in the west, which the German press describes as the “second battle for Britain.” Although the German claims are deliberately exaggerated, the attack on Britain is formidable and British shipping losses show that although valuable cargoes are coming in safely each day, British shipping has suffered heavily. Herr Hitler’s strategic plan for the moment seems to be to try to enforce by air and sea the blockade of Britain which he prematurely announced. The fact that he is doing so now is probably a result of his inability to make the attempt before as he was forced to build U-boats to replace those sunk.

Herr Hitler in fact is seizing the first opportunity for anything approaching an organised double attack, which is also probably intended to help the hard-pressed Italians by preventing military supplies from Britain reaching Greece.

PERSONAL SAFETY FEARS LONDON, December 4. _ The striking power of the; Royal Air Force is not only causing terror to the German troops* in France, but also to Hitler himself. A dispatch from a French correspondent suggests that Hitler is living more than ever in dread of a violent death? The correspondent states that when he comes to France in his armoured train, Hitler is preceded by several hundreds of his bodyguard, whose duty it is to seek out any would be assassin. Moreover, Hitler does not trust the French hotels. His guards are ordered to seek out the most formidable and secluded railway tunnel they can find and. then his heavily- armoured train —symbol of the love and trust between the dictators and their victims—is shunted into the tunnel. There, in the twilight of the gods, Hitler goes to sleep.

A POLISH BROADCAST RUGBY, December 5. The Polish Minister of Information, Professor Stromeski, in the first sereis of relay talks in the 8.8. C. Polish programme, addressed the people of Poland. He said: “So far, there have been two different periods in this war: Up to the middle of 1940, everything fell to Hitler so easily that it might have been offered to him and to the Third Reich on a gold plate. He conquered Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland and finally France. Then there began a second period, when design and achievement were no longer in accord. After having gained the Atlantic coast of France and the Channel ports, the Nazis tried to prepare an invasion of Great Britain, suppoxted by air raids on the largest scale. i In the great air battles in September 1 he was defeated with tremendous losses. Since then Hitler had had to cover up failure with success such as the subjugation of Rumania and the entrance of Slovakia into the Axis. His diplomatic activity has been demonstrated by meetings with Marshal Petain and M. Molotov, but the results of these meetings did not correspond with the expectations fostered by German propaganda. Great events were forecast. Events did not occur. The position has changed, before Herr Hitler was able to act according to his desires. Now his desires are limited by what he is able to achieve. In this second period of conflict, Germany has begun to feel the war at home more than ever before. Since the days of Napoleon the Germans had not experienced war on their own soil. With continual heavy bombing by the R.A.F., they are beginning to realise what it means.”