ONE-FRONT MYTH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20625, 5 August 1941, Page 5

ONE-FRONT MYTH

CONTRARY VIEW GERMAN PREFERENCE DIVIDING OF ECONOMIES (Elec. Tel Copyright—United Press Assn.) (N.7,.E.F. Official News Service.) (Reed. Aug. 5, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 4. In an article headed “Myth of the Single Front” by “Britannicus,” a writer says: “Because a lot of the things which Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf about his lusts and his plots have turned out to be true, a lot ol people jump to the conclusion that he meant everything he said in that book. “This se-ms a remarkable conclusion to come to abcut one of the most shameless and calculating liars in history, hut there it is. Above all, people tend to accept Hitler’s declaration that he never meant Germany to fight another war on two fronts. “In actual fact, there is a great deal of evidence that Hitler is not in the least afraid of war on two fronts, or 20 fronts. In my opinion, he likes that sort of war, because it divides up his 1 enemies and prevents them concentrating all their force at one point, as they did on the Western Front in the latter pari of the last war. It was this very concentration on one front that eventually smashed the military might of Germany. “In this war he has constantly sought new fronts. He attacked Poland in the east. Then France and Britain were standing on the alert in the west. He may have hoped they would not attack him, but I doubt it. Certainly he could not feel sure about it. Libya and Greece “He turned north to Scandinavia when the war in the west was on. He sent armies to Libya, Greece and Crete while he was still holding his coastal front against Britain and fighting the war in the air . He went into Russia when he knew Britain’s offensive power was growing rapidly and her air attacks were increasing. “In the same way the fact that lie had embarked on war with Russia is not a guarantee that he would not attempt an invasion of Britain. If he were able to overwhelm Russia he would almost certainly turn his main strength against Britain. Even if he could merely force a stalemate in the east he could divert a very substantial force to the west. “And if the worst, from his viewpoint, should happen and his eastern armies should be forced back by the Russians, it is by no means impossible that he would withdraw to a strong defence in the east of Germany and attempt to force a swift decision in the west. For, with Britain out of the way, he could return to attack Russia with greatly-reinforced strength. “And outside the purely military field Hitler has launched new intrigues in Dakar and Bolivia, while his European war still engages all his armed force. Keep Opponents Guessing “It is true that Hitler likes to choose his own time for each big offensive and prefers to launch only one such major attack at a time. That is mere elementary prudence. But it appears that he likes to be at war on several fronts and keep his enemies guessing regarding where his next blow will strike. “So it is small wonder that Britain has built up her defences to a fornidable strength and kept her island garrisoned with a mighty army, even while she has sent strong forces to every front, from Equatorial Africa lo Iceland and from Syria to Malaya. It is small wonder and should be of great comfort, as much to the peoples of the overseas Empire as to the British themselves. For if Britain were to fall a salient would have been driven deep into the midst of the commonwealth. She is the most valuable advanced post that the other countries of the commonwealth could ever hope to have.

“War, like peace, is indivisible. The African campaigns struck at Germany as surely as bombs on Berlin, by crippling her main ally. The British bombing of German military objectives not only now, but for many months past, has been greatly damaging Germany's reserve power and so leiping the Russians in advance. This war can only be understood by surveying the entire field together, not one battlefield or one battle at a time. We must watch all fronts and be on guard on all fronts and attack on any and every front whenever the moment comes.”