What’s Next?

Northern Advocate, 4 September 1939, Page 4

What’s Next?

HOW will events develop in Europe? That is a question in which we, even at this remote part of the, Empire, have no less interest than the people of England. Britain and France have declared themselves at war with Germany in support of Poland, but practical considerations obviously make it a matter of extreme difficulty to render direct aid to Poland. No British or French force could safely be taken into the Germanic waters of the Baltic Sea, and therefore the only source open to Britain and her ally is to create a diversion. Since Germany has no overseas possessions to attack, it looks as if the frontier between France and Germany, saturated with blood from two great wars in the past 70 years, will again be the theatre of a titanic military struggle. . ■ An enormous amount depends on the attitude y of Italy. Mussolini has clearly realised Italy’s vulnerability to attack by the combined British and French fleets in the Mediterranean, arid has strenuously endeavoured to restrain Hitler from the ruthless and precipitous course which has brought matters to a head. Going further, the Italians have announced that they will riot take any military initiative, and this has been interpreted as a declaration of neutrality, but it would be well to await developments before accepting this as final. It seems too much to hope that the Rome-Berlin Axis could be such a flimsy structure that one partner would desert the other at the first real test. Moreover, Hitler had announced, prior- to the British and French ultimatums, that he did not-require Italian assistance, and had not called for it. Obviously, he did not require assistance in dealing with Poland alone, but the situation is now entirely different, and he may require Mussolini to stick to his bargain. If Italy enters the conflict a combined attack of the British and French forces on the French-Italian frontier, with the object of driving into northern Italy through the fertile plains of Piedmont, along the line of famqus Napoleonic marches, will probably develop. In fact an American magazine recently published an article stating that a war would produce a campaign in that locality. For the present, however, we must await events. The war will be a terrible struggle on land, at sea and in the air. Patriotic Britons, the world over, can echo the profound belief of Mr. Chamberlain that the right must in the end prevail.