Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1941. AXIS DISLOCATION.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1941. AXIS DISLOCATION.

AJOST observers are agreed that Nazi Germany is bound to take vigorously aggressive action, in the Balkans or elsewhere, in order to sustain as tar as possible its tailing ally Italy. How the support that so obviously is needed is to be given without the result costing more than it is worth appears, however, to be a rather serious problem. The Italian people have never had their hearts in this war and account undoubtedly has to be taken of serious elements of political collapse in the Italian population, as well as of the military disasters that have overtaken the Italian armies in Africa and in Albania. There does not seem to bo any possibility, under IGiseist leadership, of rallying the people of Italy in support of a united and vigorous effort to re-establish the lost national prestige and there are even poorer prospects of Nazi taskmasters, visibly taking charge of the country, being able to rouse its inhabitants to a purposeful war effort.

11 has been said that the broad alternatives by which Hitler is confrohted in dealing with Italy* are to leave Mussolini to his fate or to take a far greater measure of control in Italian allairs than has been attempted up to the present time. There are said to be many Italians who hold that an admission and acceptance of defeat at the hands of lhe British Empire and Greece would ultimately give the Italian nation greater opportunities than the measure of salvage which might be possible with German aid, only to be obtained at the cost of making Italy in all respects humbly subservient to the Nazi dictatorship. The answer to questions of this kind meantime may bo that no choice is left to Italy and that she has become and will remain a helpless pawn in the hands of the Nazis until they have been overthrown and destroyed by the forces of democracy. It has still to be considered, however, whether Germany can hope to derive prolit or advantage from bringing Italy I idly tinder her control. An American correspondent, discussing this question recently, observed that further measures ol Nazi control in Italy would not only increase the latent hostility already existing between the Italians and the Germans, but would incur further heavv liabilities.

Germany (he added) would make itself responsible not only for defending a vastly extended coastline, but for feeding and clothing a country which is even worse of! in both respects than Germany. If, on the other hand, Herr Hitler left Signor Mussolini to make the best terms he could, the Italian fleet would have to be written off as a total loss and the blow to German prestige would be enormous. But Herr Hitler would save about 1.000,000 tons of coal monthly, 100.000 tons of oil and a considerable quantity of other important material. If Germany is really as short as Mr Hugh Dalton, the British Minister of Economic Warfare, has suggested, Herr Hitler might think this the lesser of two evils. And the British might do worse than force him to enter Italy to prevent the British using Italian airfields for bombing Germany.

Since these ironical observations were penned, not very many weeks ago, a considerable approach has been made to Ihe state of affairs their writer pictured. The process of tearing Italy's African empire to pieces, in accordance with Mr Churchills promise and prediction, is far advanced towards eoniplel ion. In Albania, Italy has failed ignominiously to.stem the onslaught of the small but valiant Greek Army. Meantime, tin l Royal Xavy has followed up the unforget table exploit of Taranto with a destructive bombardment of Genoa, one of Italy’s greatest naval ports and industrial centres, while the Italian fleet, or all that is left of it. kept safely out of harm’s way.

In sober truth a position has been reached at which any effort that Germany can make to sustain and support Italy is likely to be made at heavy and unprofitable cost. It is hardly in doubt that it' she were left to herself. Italy would abandon the struggle in which she has fared so badly, lit preventing that catastrophe for the time being. Germany must expend energy in coercing the Italian people and valuable resources in satisfying at least their minimum economic and industrial Whether on the whole there is very iiitteh Io be set on the other side of the account seems rather doubtful. Uertainlx the necessity of coercing and supporting Italy accentuates, for Germany, the burdens and dangers of the war on two fronts in which she is now involved. HOME DEFENCE SERVICE. ()X the merits of the case, wide support should be given io the resolution on the subject of home defence service which lias been forwarded bv the Stratford Borough Goiiued to the Prime Minister and the War Cabinet, as well as to various bodies throughout X<*w Zealand, The resolution reads: — That, in view of the serious position now obtaining, the threatening aspect in the Pacific, and the urgent need fur preparedness in local defence, tins council urges upon the Government that it exercise its powers of enforcing service by all those fit and able to render service and not at present being called on for overseas service or Serving m the defence »f the country 11 has been urged justly that since men are lining called up by ballot for overseas service, there van he no objection to enforced service in home defence and the Emergency Preeaiilions Scheme. More than that, it is manifest that these services cannot be manned with maxinmni Hfiviency in any other way than by a compulsory call, under which it will be possible to select those physicallv amt in other respect-, best lilted to s.-rve in the units eommrnml. h is not a matter merely of »btamitig snffwim! numbers <>i' men, hut of obtaining’ the li<-->| ami fittest men available, with due regard to oilier national calls on manpower. In appealing the oilier Hay to private owners <d service rilles to make ilieni available for the Home Guard, the Prime Minister Mr Eraser ■ mentioned that the enrolled strength <>!' the Home Guard now exceeded (iIi.OIKI. with hiindreds more volunteering evert d;:V. Some people may feel that in view of this free tide of vnhinleering there is no need of cunt pulsiin sen ice for ii<>me de. fence. As matters stand, however, there i>, no assurance whatever that either the im-ii best lilted for home defence service, or those whom the country in an emergency could best spare for that service, are being enrolled, I‘nder the voluntary system there may he a lowering in some msianees of li e physical and oilier standards that otherwise might be established. Them is the question always, also, of a fully methodised >i-e ,p .r.a able manpower, taking necount ot total national needs The cm-e for compulsion is as rounded, complete am! unan-mi >’ral :<• in the case of Imme defence service as hi that o! o\ef-si., iS M'. r Vli't', I< l Ft•i ' \ < * F . .’t «*»l I 5 I' • ;':<•! Ii ‘ * ’!•'l< ‘ ’ I G t ' f•’’\ I i ‘ • fj j s ; { ’/ 1 ' ’ MiM’lV UHi j ’»D H I 'A ‘»: II ‘ ’ nUlj?' gH«| ’Lu 'F'.'K’T'.'i'/ questions G-f G' ? i>‘i’.mj which has l!g gh q H-d 'u ;• UTgBII extent Ji some niaees,