GRIP ON THE BALTIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23319, 12 April 1939, Page 10

GRIP ON THE BALTIC

Germany's cast-iron grip on the Baltic is likely to be made even more secure by her seizure of Merael and her immediate steps to strengthen the fortifications of this ancient port. The actual seizure, resulting from a collapse of Lithuanian resistance to incessant Nazi demands, was an event of very recent history, but since then, according to latest reports, Germany has lost no time in providing herself with another Baltic fortress. To turn Memel into a fully equipped naval base would be an expensive task, even if it were considered necessary. In spite of its long mercantile tradition, the port suffers from the disadvantage of a bar harbour with no great depth of water, while icebreakers are frequently required to keep it clear for shipping during the winter months. It is far more likely that Memel will be used as a base for submarines and destroyers, a supposition supported by the fact that a German submarine flotilla arrived in the harbour within a few days of the absorption of the city by the Reich. Even as a base for small .craft, Memel must possess considerable strategic value, while another factor of importance is its favourable position as a receiving depot for materials from Scandinavian countries, assuming that these States will again prefer to remain neutral in the event of another European conflict. In addition, Memel has its own if-on foundries and shipbuilding yards, and is in direct rail connection with East Prussia. These considerations, far more than the presence of German citizens, probably animated Herr Hitler in his determination to obtain the port, and, in view of the pact between Great Britain and Poland, it must bo a matter of concern that almost identical considerations apply in the case of Danzig.