The Waikato Times MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1939 GERMANY’S PAUSE

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20918, 25 September 1939, Page 6

The Waikato Times MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1939 GERMANY’S PAUSE

"While Germany and Russia haggle over the partitioning of Poland, the war has reached a pause, excepting limited operations on the V estern Front, and the world has been given an opportunity to survey the new position. Herr Hitler has carefully concealed his next intended move. It is still believed that soundings will be made for some sort of peace that will allow Germany to retain her recently acquired territory, but surely Herr Hitler’s hopes of success in that direction must have dwindled almost to vanishing point. When he is finally convinced that France and Britain intend to honour the pledge they gave Poland, he will be forced to make fateful decisions. There are several obvious possibilities. Germany may accept the Anglo-French challenge and begin a full-scale attack either on the French frontier or via Belgium or Holland. Herr Hitler may desire first to strengthen his supplies by the absorption of other territory, in which connection his choice is almost limited to Rumania. He may seek by diplomatic intrigue to range other Powers on his side against the Allies, or he may await the fulfilment of his dream of smashing the British blockade by the unrestricted submarine campaign. Or it may be that he has other surprises to spring upon the Allies. But whatever he does, and no matter how long he may delay, he still has the armies of France and Britain hammering at the gates and the Allied navies steadily tightening the blockade, which he regards with a deadly fear. Germany cannot afford to delay the next move for long. Valuable territory on the west, including the all-important coal mines of the Saar, are steadily falling into the hands of France and Britain. Apart from a possible peace move the world is watching for signs of the next exploit. So far the assassination of the Rumanian Prime Minister has been confined as a local incident, but the circumstances will be viewed with much suspicion. Rumania has felt compelled to visit the Iron Guard with terrible punishment by the execution, it is reported, of 1000 members of the Guard. The incident must provide Herr Hitler with a tempting excuse to strike for the “liberation” of the oppressed German minority in Rumania. But will Herr Hitler make any real gain by adding to the area of his territory and therefore to his responsibility 1 His experience in Czechoslovakia must be providing a severe lesson. He could perhaps add Hungary and Rumania to his domains and thus reach the Black Sea, but already he is drawing supplies from those two countries and thus could not hope to gain much in fighting strength. Such adventures far from home require large numbers of troops and the expenditure of much valuable war material, and would in no way dispose of the pressure of Britain and France on the west. It is indeed difficult to see how Germany can avoid joining battle seriously with the Allies on the Western Front in the very near future. Russia and other Powers at present -neutral, together with Germany’s internal condition, remain the most important uncertain factors.