Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1941. SECOND NAZI OFFENSIVE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 141, 16 May 1941, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1941. SECOND NAZI OFFENSIVE.

Having driven the British forces ;out of Greece, us he declared the [Nazi army would do on launching his offensive'against that small Power, Hitler is now, according to the Budapest correspondent of the New York Times, concentrating upon a second spring offensive. The Crernian High Command, the source of the story, declares that the attack will be made via Turkey into Iraq and across to Syria. The aim is to deprive Britain of the oil wells of Iraq, first subjugating Turkey, then raising the swastika in Syria, Palestine, and eventually "driving the British from North Africa." All lliis is to happen at the beginning of June. It was not expected for a moment that having conquered Greece Hitler would pause for any length of time. If anything Itashid Ali's attempt to deprive Britain of her important bases in Iraq was a confession of Hitler's plans, but it failed because of Britain's prompt and efficient action and Pashid Ali's failure to win the support he anticipated. The Nazi plan of action is for the forces driving across Northern Africa to junction at the Suez Canal with the European army as it sweeps, according to Hitler's scheme, down through Asia Minor to the Pod Sea. At the same time Gibraltar is to be assailed from the Spanish mainland, a Nazi force moving across occupied France and Spain to positions that have been, prepared for some time past by German engineers.

The present year is a decisive one for the German High Command and for the Hitler regime. "We have a hard year of struggle ahead of us," the Fuehrer warned his people on his 52nd birthday. He has never underrated British strength and the power of British people to resist him. He has forged a mighty weapon for the attainment of world hegemony—the deadliest military instrument ever known' —and he has tho industrial resources of a whole continent in chains. He knows that if he does not win the sjiccess he has planned this year his chances of doing so much appreciably diminish. So the great effort will be made and* the storm will beat upon the British Empire with growing fury. Only from America can we receive help to weather this storm, and that help is coming in ever increasing quantities. Combined with British production at home and abroad it will in due season overtake Hitler's advantage and then lie will steadily go downhill on the way to defeat. The battle for Egypt and the Suez Canal will be a hard one. Turkey will fulfill her promise to. resist an invader, but she has deprived herself of Balkan allies by remaining aloof when Yugoslavia and Greece, were attacked, and her position if the victim of Nazi aggression must be difficult. Thus Britain will require to make a tremendous effort lo keep the Nazis at bay and the task will be

one of supreme endeavours. Yet there are hopeful signs. The Germans have been unable to break the resistance at Tobruk; the Ped Sea approaches have been cleared of Italians, and large quantities of American supplies will come that way to the Middle East. Above all we dominate Mediterranean sea power and Hitler's attempt to sever this vital Imperial life-line must prove a costly business for him, for his whole strategy is based on speed and he has yet to meet Britain alone where she chooses to fight.