The Southland Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1940. The Battle for France

Southland Times, Issue 24153, 15 June 1940, Page 4

The Southland Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 1940. The Battle for France

IT IS NOW necessary to admit that the first stage of the battle for France has been won by the Germans. Not many persons will be taken by surprise, for it has been evident since the beginning of the great offensive 10 days ago that the enemy was slowly forcing the French to withdraw to new positions. Everybody hoped for some last-minute change of fortune; but the reports from the battle-front showed only too plainly that the pressure of invasion was becoming irresistible. The reasons for the present grave situation are not hard, to find. They include, first of all, the tragic failure to prevent a breakthrough on the Meuse when the Germans poured into Belgium and Northern France. The direct result of this initial error was the cutting off of the British Expeditionary Force and certain French divisions. More than 330,000 troops were saved in the heroic withdrawal and in the evacuation of Dunkirk; but immense quantities of equipment were lost or destroyed. Although the great rearguard action gave the French a badly needed opportunity to establish new lines of defence along the Somme and the Aisne, the fact remained that when the enemy began his strong thrust at Paris only small British forces were able to share the resistance, and the lack of materials prevented the immediate despatch of effective aid. These are unpalatable truths which have to be faced by those who wish to understand the remorseless development of events. Their implications extend further in time than the beginning of the Blitzkrieg. It is unfortunately plain that the French military leaders were taken by surprise, and that they had failed to profit from the lessons of a new type of warfare demonstrated on the plains of Poland. Heroic and partially successful efforts were made, under the direction of General Weygand, to change overnight from the traditional system of shallow but concentrated defence lines -to a defence in depth organized in zones to deal with the mechanized columns. Such changes, however, can be little better than improvisations when they are made under the impact of an invasion. History may have to record that the lack of vision in diplomacy which caused so many mistakes in the months and years preceding the war had also infected military circles, preventing them from realizing the full possibilities of a mobile strategy based on the use of heavy tanks and aeroplanes.

Reasons For Hope

But when this darker side of the picture has been examined there are still reasons for an unshakable conviction that the war will end victoriously for the Allies. The first and vital factor is the spirit of the French people, above all of the French Army. During the past 10 days it has faced an enemy superior in numbers, and armed with a weight of metal and machines on a scale never before known in battle. In the face of this terrible onslaught the French lines have remained intact. Where it has been necessary to fall back, the manoeuvres have been carried out in good order: there has been no disorganization, no sign of any weakening in the will to resist. For every gain in territory, the Germans have paid with losses of life which will strike a chill to the hearts of German people when the truth begins to filter through the censorship. Even now, with the Germans at the gates of Paris, and with a new, cowardly enemy waiting upon a safe moment to attack from the rear, the French troops are fighting with valour and determination. The outlook is not by any means hopeless. Britain is sending more troops and all the equipment that can be hastily collected. The Royal Air Force continues to harass the supply lines, to break up tank columns, to participate in the actual struggle on the battlefield, and to raid military objectives in Germany. Further, it is not merely optimism to suggest that the German advance, must soon begin to slacken. The terrific pace at which the attack has been carried out was made possible by numerical superiority and by brilliant staff organization. But the Germans are not supermen. They cannot move indefinitely, at the present rate of advance, against an enemy that deals shattering blows. It seems certain that they have counted on a collapse in at least one part of the French lines. They have reached Paris;, but there are new battles to be faced, and the armies of France are still unbroken. A final and most important reason for hopefulness is the certain response of the United States to the appeals for help made by M. Reynaud. His messages to President Roosevelt were noble in their courage and dignity. They cannot fail to arouse American opinion to a mood which will lead to an intervention at a rapid rate of acceleration. With war materials reaching France in a growing stream, and with Britain throwing all her strength into the

struggle, the Allies will face the next battle with a spirit that can never acknowledge defeat. No nation has ever proved its claim to survival more gallantly than the people of France. The conscience of the civilized world can have no peace until the armies of free men have gained a final victory.