The Waikato Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1941 DANGEROUS ALLIANCES

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21336, 5 February 1941, Page 6

The Waikato Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1941 DANGEROUS ALLIANCES

Ever since the war began British people have been carefully reading the signs to discover the stage when other nations will decide that it is dangerous to join the Axis Powers. That, they are agreed, will indicate the turning-point of the war. Italy joined Germany because Mussolini believed at that time that the Allies were in a hopeless position. Japan followed quickly for similar reasons. Both hoped to be on the winning side when the redistribution of territories and privileges was to be made. It is safe to assume that the average Italian has already come to the conclusion that support of Germany is an extremely risky undertaking. Information from a correspondent at Tokio suggests that Japan also has serious doubts whether it was not a grave mistake to sign the tripartite treaty. Hitler was a very forceful salesman. Italy and Japan accepted his terms with enthusiasm. Their great mistake, and Hitler’s, was that they did not correctly assess the recuperative powers and the resilience of the British Empire. It is perhaps understandable that Italy and Japan, judging Britain by their own standards, should have believed that when France collapsed the British Empire was exposed to defeat without a chance of recovering from the blow. Italy took the plunge with indecent haste, perhaps fearing that she might be too late to obtain a share of the spoils. And before the eyes of Japan was opened a vision of unobstructed expansion in the Pacific. The evacuation from Dunkirk probably confirmed the Axis belief that Britain was retiring to her last stronghold and that her final collapse would not long be delayed. At that stage Germany’s offensive had scarcely been checked.

It was at that stage that Britain began to make a recovery that astonished the world. She could not take the offensive because enormous gaps in the ranks caused by the defection of France had to be repaired and the great losses in equipment in France had to be made good. So Germany completed her conquest of Western Europe and Italy set out lightheartedly to occupy British Somaliland and advance menacingly into Egypt. Britain’s recovery was faster than anyone could have anticipated. The United States came to her aid. The Royal Air Force inflicted a crushing defeat on Germany’s aerial armada and wrecked the attempt at invasion of Britain. Italy’s offensives in North Africa came to a standstill. But Italy attacked Greece, and then her troubles began. Since that day Italy has suffered a succession of disasters, and now her whole overseas Empire is in grave peril.

Japan, deeply involved in China, has looked in vain for assistance. As a distant spectator of the struggle in Europe and the Middle East she has seen the hopes of active assistance gradually fading away. Would either Italy or Japan have joined Germany had they been able to see only a few months into the future ? But they have not yet completely lost hope. They see in Germany a tremendous power that has not yet been fully extended. It is certain that they will await Hitler’s threatened assault on Britain with anxiety not only for Germany but for themselves as well. Japan still has time to withdraw from a dangerous alliance, and if Hitler tries and fails, Japan may realise her error in time. For those reasons the next few months may be the most fateful in the history of the world.