War’s Duration

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 278, 24 November 1939, Page 10

War’s Duration

GERMANY WELL PREPARED WELLINGTON, Nov. 21. The view that it was idle to talk of Geemany being quickly beaten in the war, because the country had long been preparing for war, was expressed in an interview to-day by Mr. J. Y. Moran, of Sydney. With his wife, Mr. Moran recently touret through Europe and Scandinavian countries and was in Germany, Poland and Italy as recently as last May. In Poland, said Mr. Moran, he found people quite certain war would break out, but not until September after the harvest. The Poles were determined to fight against aggression. German people he spoke to, however, did not expect war, and thought there would be a crisis in September, but that Herr Hitler’s demands, including the return of tho German colonies, would be met. Mr. Moran said no was surprised at the determination expressed in France to combat Nazi ambitions. The French were quite sure there would be war and that France would fight on until it had beeu won. In Italy there was a strong pro-English feeling and ho was quite convinced Italy would never take up arms on the side of Germany. Italy was nervous of Russia, and the German alliance with that country had done nothing to dissipate that feeling. 4 4 All this talk of Germany being beaten quickly is foolish,” said Mr. Moran. 4 4 She is prepared for a long war. She has saved food for a long war and she is military prepared for a long war. I could not help noticing that everyone who could walk walked with the soldiers’ march. Old women worked in the fields, young women in labour battalions, and men were in the army. Every German we spoke to admitted they were short of butter, but said it was being saved and stored away. They were allowed only four ounces a week, they said, but another four ounces was being saved.”