Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1941. BETTER NEWS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 July 1941, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1941. BETTER NEWS.

•jiie campaign in Syria was not a war. in official eyes, no formal declaration of hostilities having been made. The British have been critical of other nations who have sheltered themselves under such technicalities, Japan’s aggression in China being the most notable instance. However, all’s well that ends well, and the fighting in Syria has ceased, and an official A agio-French war has been averted. The terms of the “armistice,” which is really an “agreement,” have been revealed, and French susceptibilities have been studied as much as possible. Some rancour must be expected, but, in ■ filin', the French soldiers will contrast their treatment by Britain . with the harsh terms enforced by $ the Germans. i The improvement in the Middle i East outlook is accompanied by | better news concerning the Battle | of the Atlantic. British shipping s losses during June were fewer I than in preceding months, alJ though the figures of sunken tonnage were still distressingly high. I Further checks to losses are essen- ! tial, but the general public arc not to be kept regularly informed, as hitherto. Weekly figures were, at one time, published by the Admiralty, but as the losses increased, monthly announcements were substituted. Now, it has been decided that it is unwise to make regular announcements, owing Io the value of such information to the enemy. Meanwhile, Axis claims concerning sinkings will have a free run, adding to the propaganda influence in neutral countries. British people must not forget the Battle of the Atlantic, even if they learn little of its progress, apart from official generalities. Another source of gratification is the continued success of the R.A.F. offensives over Germany and enemy-occupied centres, together with the lull in serious raids on Britain. It was relieving to learn that the casualties during June, through raids, dropped to a few hundreds, the lowest since the blitz started. Even then, over 850 men, women and children, were killed or seriously injured. The more the reflection given'to what the British people have endured, the more is proved the justification for such tributes as Mr. Churchill paid to the nation, this , week. The Prime Minister warned : the people that they must be pre- j pared for even greater onslaughts s than they have yet suffered. Mean-

while, a welcome respite is being enjoyed.. On land, sea and in the air, therefore, the happenings and the prospects give cause for thankfulness and confidence, and if the Russians hold the, Germans until Winter, the tide will have turned definitely against Nazism.