NOT IMPRESSED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23780, 7 October 1940, Page 7

NOT IMPRESSED

DIPLOMATS IN LONDON DICTATORS' MEETING (BARREN HOPES REVIEWED (Received October 6, 7.15 p.m.) British Wireless ' LONDON, Oct. 5 Diplomatic circles in London do not appear to be greatly impressed by the exceedingly vague content of the official statement put out after the conference of the Axis leaders at the Brenner Pass. As the Daily Telegraph points out, two fields of action have been tempting them following the disappointment of their hopes of an early British collapse. These are the Balkans and Africa. "There are, 'however, rivalries between German and Italian interests in the Balkans which the Axis has done little to compass," says the Telegraph. "Africa may be easier to divide on paper, and Mussolini might be willing to accept orders, since be must face the fact that on the sea the German Navy is in no case to assist the Italian Navy or cavil at its eminent caution." Although all the British newspapers give prominence to the meeting of the dictators, little editorial comment is fliade. Under the heading "The Next Move" the Daily Telegraph recalls that Hitler met Mussolini 011 the Brenner Pass in the middle of March, and then arranged that Italy should wait and not enter the Var until Germany had disposed of France. In the middle of June they conferred again to divide the spoils. "Since that time," the Telegraph B°es on, "everything has gone awry with the dictatorships. The Luftwaffe w as to have overwhelmed the British Air Force and opened our shores to Hass invasion. Long before this, Italy should have swept the Mediterranean, cut off our armies in the Near East and struck at the central communication of the Empire. Berlin advertised that it would celebrate a total triumph last month. "When Hitler shook hands with Mussolini yesterday they would have been able to exchange congratulations on the shattering defeat of the Luftwaffe, on the destruction of the flotillas °f invasion, on the continually heavier • bombing of Germany's war machine, on the recurring flights of the Italian Fleet, the incapacity of the Italian Air Force, and the prolonged hesitation of the Italian Army, hundreds of desert fiiiles awav from the Nile and the Suez '"anal."