The Editor’s Saturday Night

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1939, Page 6

The Editor’s Saturday Night

The week has been comparatively quiet. But silence is often more impressive than noise or action. That can be said of this week. Anticipated developments in Danzig have not materialised. This may or may not be due to Germany’s reported intention not to force the pace in this thorny area. There is perhaps more than meets the eye in Mr Chamberlain's reiterated statement of Britain’s belief that the problem is still susceptible of solution by discussion round a conference table. On the face of it, this is a foolish assumption, for the German inspired press has resumed a campaign of invective against Britain. However, it is just possible that commonsense may yet rise superior to national ambition and prejudice.

In the Far East, Japan has again declared that Britain must, recognise the new order in China, which means Japanese overlordship, and there has been intensification of antiBritish propaganda, in. which Chinese have evidently been induced to join. All eyes are focussed on Tokio, where the Anglo-Japanese discussion of the Tientsin problem is to take place today. Upon the result of that discussion will depend to a large ex- | tent developments oil' which. New 1 Zealanders, judging by the attention !they are devoting to small things, are | apparently unaware, or are at pres--1 ent unconcerned.

Tx’ouble which may develop in the Pacific is also dependent to a very large extent upon the attitude adopted by the United States. This week’s happenings in the United States Legislature have not been of a character calculated to lessen the task of Britain in the interests of democracy. President Roosevelt has striven valiantly, but he has experienced depressing setbacks. Perhaps it will require an outbreak of war to bring the United States into the only sphere of action which spells safety for her. Will she be put to that test? We wonder.

Significant happenings are reported from the shores of the Mediterranean. France has ceded to Turkey the territory which is now known as Hatay. It adjoins Libya. Italy has protested against this cession, contending that it contravenes the AngloFrench understanding. Italy has ordered the departure of foreign residents from the Italian Tyrol, at the head of which stands the famous Brenner Pass. There is belief that this has been done in order that the movement of German troops through the Tyrol may not be divulged to the world at large. The German troops, it is suggested, are destined for, service in Libya, where Italy has a large army. This may or may not be true, but the Tyrol incident, coming on the heels of the Hatay. cession, is a coincidence.

This latest development gives significance to a British Admiralty order calling up 12,000 naval reservists and ordering a 'Big review of the Reserve Fleet on August 9. Such a review has not taken place since the big war scare in September last. The Italian press characterises the review as “intimidatory and fresh evidence of war psychosis,” but Britons will see in it the spirit of precaution.