GERMAN PLANS

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21689, 27 March 1942, Page 3

GERMAN PLANS

| BLOCKADE PROBABLE WAR WITH RUSSIA , GIGANTIC CAMPAIGN (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. copyrignt) LONDON, March 25 Speculation about an Axis offen- . sive against Cyprus, Egypt or Syria 1 has not obscured the fact that Ger--5 many will still wage a gigantic Rusr sian campaign, says an article in the i Times. ; That Germany will direct against ; Russia the most powerful blockade she is capable of delivering seems ; certain, whatever be her other plans r for the spring and summer, says the r article. And, however much her 1 armies in the field have suffered, her gigantic war industry is capable of T replacing the material which has been i lost and replacing it with more up--1 to-date models. J Nor would it be prudent to supi pose that German oil supplies are in- - adequate for the purposes of an offensive which may extend far beyond ■ the Russian theatre of war. Russia t now stands every whit as much in ■ the forefront of battle as she did last » year. Her front is vital to the Allied > cause and is now likely to be sub--1 jected to fiercer testing. It is not unreasonable to believe that, if this vast offensive were to 1 be launched, were to lead to months ' of bitter fighting on widespread fronts, and were to end, like that of last year, merely in a series of tactiP cal successes which brought no deci- , sion. and even any outstanding . strategic advance, then indeed the . j German outlook would be bleak. , Germany’s Puppets E The Times sums up the diplomatic ' activities among Germany’s puppets J and says: “Rumania is already in all ' but open revolt against the thankless sacrifice exacted from her. The * same exorbitant demands are no L doubt at this moment being pressed ‘ on King Boris in Berlin, against the s known wishes and sympathies of his [ people. 1 “Turkey, whose strength and sturdy * caution have hitherto suffered t} pre- » serve her freedom, is being subjected ) once more to the usual battery of > threats and cajolery, and has nothing good to expect from Papen’s ’ coming consultations with Hitler. “Everywhere the great spring of--1 tensive against Russia, diplomatic as [ well as military, is being prepared : with desperate energy, for Hitler ’ knows that everything for him de- , pends on the throw. His determina- ’ tion will call forth a like determination, and not only from our Russian allies, but from ourselves.” FUTURE OF POLAND t DISCUSSIONS AT WASHINGTON “PERFECT HARMONY” PREVAILS [l (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tei. copyright) (Received March 27, 11.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, March 26 General Sikorski, the Polish leader, conferred with President Roosevelt today. He told the press that there was perfect harmony in all matters pertaining not only to general war questions on a world basis but also to matters pertaining to Poland. Asked whether Polish boundaries after the war were included in the discussions, General Sikorski replied in the affirmative. General Sikorski said the Polish Government in exile in London had authorised him to bestow Poland’s highest military honour, Virtuti Militari, on General MacArthur. Only two other Americans, General Pershing and the Unknown Soldier, have been awarded this honour. General Sikorski will leave for Canada immediately and will later return to London. UNREST IN FRANCE SYMPATHY FOR ALLIES (United Press Assn. —Elec. Tei. copyright) LONDON, March 25 The French vice-Premier, Admiral Darlan, has summoned prefects to Vichy from the whole of France to a conference to discuss serious symptoms of unrest noticeable recently. Frenchmen recently have started to display American flags, and to demonstrate whenever beflagged United States Embassy cars appear in the streets. A retired French navy officer was thunderously applauded when lecturing when he said the British might attempt a landing at Marseilles or Toulon. He was fined later for disturbance of the public peace. WAR GUILT TRIALS BLIND OPTIMISM ALLEGED (United Press Assn. —Elec. Tel. copyrlgnu LONDON, March 26 Evidence was given by one French general at the Riom trials yesterday that there were insufficient fortifications on the Rhine, and that blind optimism prevailed in the French command. Another general alleged, that direct contact between Daladier and Gamelin was too infrequent, and that the morale of the French troops deteriorated during the period of inactivity following the declaration of war.