THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 23, 1940.
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
FROM THAMES TO NILE
It is too easy to think of Britain's struggle against the totalitarians as mere- ly a fight to defend the British Isles. News of the Italian offensives in Africa is a reminder that the struggle reaches as fai The British power
as
Battle of Britain is alsc the Battle of the Empire.
The "tight little island" remains the citadel, and London is warning the British not to be distract- ed by Axis moves in Africa. These include Italian drives from Libya into Egypt, from Italian East Africa into British Somaliland and the ap- pearance of German agents in Dakar, strategic] French naval base in West Africa. For Il Duce this is the main show. His hopes of rebuilding the Roman Empire centre on territorial gains in the Mediterranean area.
For both Axis Powers Africa has appeared the most feasible ground for empire-carving. Musso-
lini considers that so long as Egypt separates Libya and Ethiopia, so long as Britain controls the Suez! and Gibraltar, he is a pri- soner in the Mediter- ranean. With France under-Nazi control and Turkey apparently im- mobilised, an Axis victory in Egypt might lead to control of Syria, Palestine, Iraq, and Persia, with oil supplies which could be decisive,
OUR DOORSTEP
ANOTHER · DOORSTEP QUIZ.
Stue ITALY IN
"HOW IS YOUR MORALE THIS MORNING ?—A BIT SHAKY WE HOPE. SID
AFRICA
- If Italian writers had not been so frank about Italy's intentions in the war,' it might be difficult to discover any coherent purpose in what has actually been done. She has occupied Kassala, Gallibat and Kurmak in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and on July 15 she entered the frontier post of Moyale, on the Abyssinian-Kenya frontier, which she had surrounded for five days. All these events represent suc- cesses; and no useful purpose is served by denying it. Moyale, the last of the series, was held by only Ja company of the King's African Rifles, and it held off and inflicted heavy loss upon a force which cannot have been far short of a brigade.
Nevertheless, each of these operations showed skill and re- solution, even if the moral advan- tage remains with the smaller for- ces which caused the Italians.con- siderable casualties before with- drawing. Italy has gained pres- |tige and is naturally informing the
world.
How do these operations stand fin relation to her declared ob- fject? She was to attack the "nervé centres" of the Mediter- ranean; but none of these places
By "Strategicus"
is anywhere near the Mediterran- can or can, by any flight of imag- ination, be described as a "nerve centre" of anything. They are simply small posts on an im- mensely long frontier.
It is true that, on July 18, the Italians claimed that they were "pursuing" the troops who had broken out of Moyale by "land land air forces." But a strip of rough and waterless country some 60 miles deep fringes the Kenya frontier and it has few and poor roads. There seeins to be no pur- pose in "pursuing" across that in sulated belt even if the Italians were not marching away from their supplies towards a British concentration: 'But, if, this seems purposeless, what is to be said of the capture of frontler posts in the Sudan? A strong, well-found ex- pedition, prepared for an advance of 250 miles, might reach an ob Jective worth having; but there is no sign that Italian East Africa, now cut off from Italy, has the resources for such operations,
The declared objective is Egypt But never a Ger with the command of the canal.";
Universal Solidarity
our
the
the
of What is meant by this is appar- the British Navy if she should last ent from every declaration made choose to fight. There seems no last by all German leaders. Right infobvious way in which Italy car the German sense is what is use prevail upon the Navy to disperse ful for the Reich. According to itself and, up to the present, she this German thesis, any action has lost heavily in her efforts to which is conceived as being of defeat it. use to the Germän people is raise
By Robert Mackay
ed to the dignity of a legal right. There is, however, a possibility The two Americas are. a pri-which Graziant may exploit to vileged zone of this earth, where weaken the third factor in a suc- hundreds of millions of human cessful invasion.. The British warrior for the preservation of beings ask no better than to live commander has some of the in- humanity. War acts like a subtle human dignity. But England does and "work in peace. These na-est troops in the world, at his dis-
At the end of March a German der that all the traditional con- Peace? To be sure, everybody minister "(Dr. Ley) made the fol-ceptions about neutrality are out wants peace. lowing declaration: "War is not a of date after only a few months man peace! A German peace is curse; it is a blessing. No coun-of war. No doubt, neutrality may simply the classification of ṇa- If we are to assume that the In Africa as in Europe try has ever become great except still survive as a legal instrument tions into two grades; in the one, declared Italian objective is
in international jurisprudence; but The Superior it is a struggle of sea pow-by armed might."
People the Gerreal one, the operations may have It would be hardly worth while jevents themselves have assumed mans; in the other, The Inferior a certain coherence. An attack er against land and air discussing what we are to under- the task of showing that that in-Peoples-the rest of humanity. Jupon Egypt involves the cooper- superiority. The totali-stand by "great", for the German strument is a broken teed.
The American peoples havelation of land, sea and air forces. minister's declaration is an ·0b- In the international field, res-never admitted the doctrine of a The Royal Air Force has establish- tarians are
seeking to vious exaltation of brute force pect for the law deteriorated pro-State of Superior Race, of a Chosed in the Mediterranean the same take the bases such as For that very reason it is worth gressively. It yielded to the po-people ever adhered to such doc personal ascendency which is so
Nor has the British en Nation. Alexandria on which Brisontrasting it with a phrase re-licy.of recognising fuits accomplis, rines which,.in.their practical el-quality may make up for
great an asset in England and its cently used by a distinguished in order to avoid war. And it tain's
rect to-day, merely mean naval power de- South American general (Gener- was the avoidance of such wars
that numerical inferiority. The only al Gomes Monteiro). He was in-that made war unavoidable.
from now onwards international way Italy can hope to deal with pends and by air attackviting the coopération of all his
law will cease to exist. It will be the British Fleet is, to defeat it, cut the sea lanes such as compatriots in the programme of England is to-day fighting in replaced by German Right.
and no one will be happier than the Gulf of Aden. In the national defence, and this is how Europe as the last defender
Western civilisation, the Brazilian general expressed
the past the desert has been what was in his mind: "We must champion of social order, the the chief military obsta-culture against the virus of im-
safeguard the conquests of cle and to-day the oases perialism." are held by small but ex-ing expression to two diametri- There we have two phrases giy- perienced and resolute cally opposite conceptions. Ac- British forces.
cording to the German thesis, war Only if
is the highest good, because only motor transport and more Force has any real value. But for civilised nations war is not mere- numerous air forces de-
ly a disaster and a scourge for feat distance and the de-
not feel herself to be alone in the tions, as every Englishman knows, pasal, in Egypt. It is probably sert are the Italians like- and destroys. It arrests the con- She
and dangerous 'poison. It corrupts
has behind, her the have taken as tlièir ideal the moral true that a formidable, invasion moral support of all free peoples, and spiritual progress of their of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan to succeed.
quests of culture," because cul- and not least of the peoples of the peoples. They have no base am- would lead him to alločate part tural progress is only possible
jbitions, But forecasting
American continent. the when the body politic is sound
But if the Third Reich, of his force to that arça, and the with its doctrine of German Hight, number of froops available to military future is almost and when nations live together in From the very beginning of the succeeds in reducing the whole of checkt an advance from Libya
peaceful harmony.
war Germany has regarded · Eng-¡Europe to slavery, what moral law would be weakened to that ex- as useless as trying to Of recent years the world has land as her greatest enemy. The remains to safeguard the people of tent. As I have said, there is no guess whether the shift to grown accustomed to hear, the reason is clear. The leaders of America? Where is the juridical sign, at present, of any such in- phrase: "peace is indivisible." It the Reich are fully aware that the sanction that will protect them? vasion of the Sudan, and short of Africa portends a suspen-required a war to reveal the un- British people will never accept There is only one possible-safe-that it is unlikely that the Bri-
of sion of plans for invading derlying significance that as the true faith their belief in guard, and that is a solidarity tish cprimander will detach troops phrase. To-day its meaning is the regenerating, virtues of Force which envisages not merely the to restore the position on the fron- Britain until further nib-contained in a more tragle formula. England has always opposed here-defence of the country, but the tier. The Italian successes mean' bling at the Empire and It is written in letters of blood sics of that sort. That is why the defence of a common civilisation, no more than a check.
across the world: "war is indivi-British people:now feels it has the That American solidarity can- supply lines has been atsible" That this is the cruel support of universal opinion; the not but reach out, almost invo In any case, the advance upon tempted or whether this truth is obvious when we consi- more so because the leaders of luntarily, beyond the confines of Egypt must face obvious risks. The the Belch make no secret of their the American continent, because desert rond by Siwa is impractic- is concerted action timed against distractions. The intentions to implant their re-war to-day is perforce indivisible able for any considerable force, to coincide with the Ger Battle of Britain may line of Force in all countries Indeed International sentiment the coast road Involves 250 miles man attack on the British stretch from the Thames to prevent free peoples being vic-ready a fact, surpassing any juri-that is to say, guns of 8
which are still free. In fighting between civilised peoples is al-invitation to the Navy, heavy guns, inches Isles. Probably London to the Nile, but it is likely tims of the direct action of Force, dical conceptions. The moral un- and upwards, can shell it; and, does well to counsel to be decided in Britain. England is defending the cause of ion of all peoples belonging to of course, it is open to constant
Western civilisation already exists.linterruption.;
humanity,