ARM CHAIR STRATEGISTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23615, 27 March 1940, Page 13

ARM CHAIR STRATEGISTS

Sir, —While admitting Tuesday's leader in the Hkhamj to he practically watertight, there are still certain points that would be none the worse for open discussion. It is useless getting annoyed because a section of American opinion dubs the present war "phoney." Even on the French front it is spoken of as "Le guerre e'est drolle," or in our language, "The funny Avar," and in England not long ago a newspaper canvass {jpiincl that the popular vote for a title was "The Bore War," with "Phoney" and "Funny" as runners-up. It is pretty safe to assume that two powerful opponents at death grips and armed to the teeth would go for a vital spot, arid not waste time on pin pricking. Vital spots—the blood stream of war —are without doubt the great armament works, and yet, neither JCrnpps. Creusottc, Skoda, Woolwich Arsenal — as far as I kndw —were inconvenienced cither in the Great War, or, np to the present, in this. It was often, in the last war, rather grimly commented on by the men in the line that the safest places in Europe were the munition plants, and the popular conclusion drawn was that it was a gentleman's agreement between the cannon kings not to destroy each other's profits. As one who gets round quite a bit and often hears this phase of war discussed, it is only common fairness to ask if there is a satisfactory answer to this question. I for one would welcome it. " J. Bknfield.