The Grey River Argus MONDAY, April 5, 1943. POINTING TO EUROPE.

Grey River Argus, 5 April 1943, Page 4

The Grey River Argus MONDAY, April 5, 1943. POINTING TO EUROPE.

AV lien the enemy recently renewed his offensive in Southern Russia, Urn advocates of an immediate second front, renewed their plea, but now that heavy fighting has died down in Russia, the second front idea is being revived in another quarter. This latter looks for the ad Vent of a new front, not to unfavourable developments on tjie eastern front, but to favourable ones on the North African front. That is sound strategy, and it is being slowly though surely justified today in Tunisia. If there had earlier been any denniiyer at the notion of New Zealand, copcput,rating all its men upon defence in the' Pacific, there ppw will be yet a wider disinclination, seeing that our Division has had the lead in the operations which have dissipated such hopes as the Axis held of lengthjly Relaying' the conclusion of its stand south of the Mediterranean. A week ago the situation seemed that of a setback on the Mareth Line. It might have so reinained had not General Montgomery decided to rely upon his left wing, mainly our men, wjio ]iacl outflanked the enemy, instead of persisting in the froipal attack. 'When Allied fqj’Ces, following np qptflqpking success, advanced to Gabes, therp was perhaps a disposition Ip look for 'a repetition of the enemy withdrawal from .pl Alamein and Trippli, but it cpuld only have bceii from ignorance of the fact that defensive positions abptpifl in Tunisia, wflerpas there were fap fewer between. there and pi Alqinein. The eqeifly all along has relief! on strength of position rqthcr t]iiin strength of in'on and arniarnpnf, since Rommel advanced to pl Alauiein. H is undeniable that he has had since then the pick qf positipns, since lie has been falling hack upon quo after another. T|ie Allies undoubtedly have a grept preponderance in force,' alike on land, air and sea. Wif|i hqinmel tp deal with this, however, is pot epqiigli, since he is a master tactician. Withal, he has been unablp to hold his ppsitiqns. and tlie fact that Montgomery is able every time to manoeuvre him out of his position is the authentic guarantee of eventual victory. This is not to say the decision is going even now to be an easy one.

It is trite that the Eighth Army is bombarding the enemy’s new line, and that the American and French forces are pinching the cnepiy against the coastlin'e, but to give him his due, Rommel, while having to adopt Fabian tactics, has, except for abandoned Italians in the earlier stages, succeeded .Regularly in extricating his forces. A fresh trap has been set' for him, and it is a case of heads we win and tails he loses, because if he again evades the trap, it will only be by giving ground afresh, but a quick decision would entail the closing of the trap upon the enemy, which is not yet indicated. Rommel’s object is still merely that of 'delaying the Allies, with this difference that the scope left is

rapidly, vanishing, aiid that when none remains, there is likely to remain no alternative but capitulation.' The Allies are ready to prevent a “Dunkirk; the Italians are being warned of decimation in their homeland; . uie Germans show anxiety at the I|Hminence of a Continental invasion; and, finally, the second front looms at last in the not (listant future. For this the Russians have patiently waited, and it seems as if they have not done so in vain. It may be natural for the British people to expect that the New Zealanders and their Commander ,who commanded the movement ivliicn turned the Mareth Line, should remain an integral part of the Eighth. Army, to whom General Eisenhow'er has just paid the highest tribute. ' Because the fame and prowess of that particular Army, in tjie van of which our Division has always been, is in itself a military asset of the highest moral as well as military consequence, its presence upon a second European'front would be rated as of great value. Nevertheless, there must be always a sense of proportion, and while the; Dominion may be able for another year to maintain oversea a couple of Divisions, the New Zealand veterans of Greece, Crete, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia deserve a respite. Thus the conquest of Tunisia .will in due course raise tjie question of their return, either in whole or in part. Likewise thp obligation of this country in the Pacific, which inevitably must increase, requires that there shall be reinforcements. In addition, there doubtless are large and growing forces available in the Northern Hemisphere for Allied operations when extended to Europe itsplf. Rommel is uot likely to stop the Allies for very long. His forces are J limited, and defensive tactics are his main recourse. The invasion of Europe looks much nearer now than it looked before it becam'e known what the New 1 Zealanders and their .comrades had clone after the frontal attack failed to carry the jyjaretli Line.