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War Songs
THE complaint has been made
that the war songs which have come to the fore in the last
few months are too trivial and undignified; some of them are further described as being forced
and artificial.
The prime favourite of the last war was "Tipperary," the dignity of which might be hard to dis cover at first, yet it acquired in time a dignity of its own, and for*, many people an inexpressible pathos which made it little short of sacred.
Perhaps, therefore, we should be cautious in criticising the songs our soldiers are singing. They will certainly choose the melodies and words that please: them best, without regard to the opinions of the critics. First place thus far seems to have been given to "Roll Out the Barrel." Not much dignity is to
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may even be a source of annoy- ance to musicians and of acute distress to temperance cam- paigners. But surely the first 100,000—or 200,000—cannot be
wrong?
When the soldiers show a dis- tinct preference for this musical exhortation, the mere civilian can only comment. "So let it bel" In any case,
whatever the soldiers' choice in songs for this second affair with the Germans, it is surely preferable that their vocalism should prove a dis- inclination to take themselves or the dangers of their job too
Strategy of Siegfried
IT would be a
mistake at this stage of the war to under- estimate the strength of the Sleg- fried Line. It Is tremendously strong.
"Line" is a mislending word, and should not be used. The series of positions, and the "Sieg- fried-Stellung" in therefore the exact opposite of the rows of static trenches, with their com munications to support and In- serves, which those of us who served in the Great War remem- ber on the Somme.
Stegfried tactics are quite sim- .ple,
First, you Beguile your enemy Inic forward zones which are filled with minefields, pili-boxes and machine-gun nests.
Second, if he has managed to penetrate so far, you engage him In a forward battle zone.
Third, you harass him in a rear- ward battle zone.
Finally, if his reserves have not been completely used up by this time, you lure him into your counter-attack zone. IL on the Jast-named that the whole system is based.
Well-planned counter-attacks are difficult to withstand. A pause of exhaustion must follow, leaving the initiative in the hands of the defenders.
S°
NO much for the strength of the Siegfried positions, but what of their weaknesses?
The system has certain dis- advantages from the defenders' point of view. Pill-boxes, ma- chine-gun nests, and concrete strong points must be munned by small gorrisons which may be- come Isolated.
до
They live under conditions of the utmost discomfort, they must
"over
the top" every night to obtain their rations, they cannot be frequently relleved. If their main lines of communication in the rear are threatened by heavy gunare, whole Arcus of these positions can be starved out.
In many places on the Western Front the Siegfried positions are 15 to 20 miles in depth. They run from Switzerland to Belgium, through the Rhine flood area, where the French watched with amusement in the spring while the Germans fought desperately save their forts and casemates from disaster. How for, there- fore, is this great zonul depth of value in defence?
to
It is obvious that to man even the forward zones against possi- ble attack at any polit must em- ploy enormous numbers of men. The opposite is the case with regard to the French Maginot Line, where a large mobile urmy can be moved quickly behind it from one point to another.
The Siegfried positions have got to be retained. An army must keep its counter-attack troops in the places chosen for them, and there is then not much room for manoeuvre. Provided
your
docs enemy exactly what you expect him to do all is well; but if he does some- thing different, as General Gume- lin has done in the Soar Valley, the whole zonal system may be upset.
Napoleon said that the transi- tion from the defensive to the offensive in one of the most de- licate operations in War. He knew!
THIS
***
war will test many theorica, The power
of defensive weapons hus Increased to such an extent that if one side or the other attacks positions In which the enemy is ready and prepared the result will be dis- astrous. If, on the other hand, manoeuvre is found once more to be possible, huge defensive arens, the work of years of careful plas- ning, may become useless.
Possibly the assistance of alr forces will be found to have mode all the difference. Allied 'planes have flown over
the Siegfried posllions and photographed them from every angle; there is little about them which is unknown to the General Staffe.
Allled 'planes can swoop down on the German counter-attack divisions and upset their concen- trations on the roads by machine gunning and bombing.
Let us therefore discard our preconceived theories about Ger- "man "lines" and "walls" of de- fence The Siegfried "positions" are different. Although tremend- qusly strong, they are by no means impregnable.
T. A. LOWE
March 7, 1940,
SAPPER PHIPPS On Active Service
“He used to be a commissionaire.
He led
the
to
Czechs Freedom
TO-DAY is the 90th an-
niversary of the birth of T. G. Masaryk, the first premier of the Czecho- Slovak Republic, who died in Sept., 1937.
It was he who led the Czechs in their revolt against the Hapsburgs and, who, as President of the Czecho - Slovak Republic, consolidated the state and made it the bulwark of liberalism and democracy in Central Europe.
His birthday will be observed in all parts of the world.
This anniversary will be ob served with great enthusiasm and deep sincerity in those places where Czechs are free to give expression to their feelings, and in Czecho-Slovakia itself it will certainly not pass un- observed.
According to reports which have been received, the German Army of occupation and the Gestapo have received instruc- tions to prevent a repetition of the outbreaks that occurred on October 28: Czecho-Slovak In- dependence Day.
warm.
Siberia to Vladivostock where: they embarked for Europe. Masaryk received a welcome in Chicago when he visited that city in his journey back to Europe. The city has. always been a strong Czech centre and therefore he received generous assistance.
The defeat of the Germans in 1918 paved the way for the in- dependent state of Czecho- Slovakia which had been up till' then merged into the Austrian- Hungarian State. Masaryk had! a difficult task for he had to steer between the reactionaries: . on the one side and the Com- munista on the other.
He was drawn into the orbit of the French and British de- mocracies, because his whole. training led him that way. Moreover, his wife was American Indy of descent.
дл
Hugenot
From 1918 to 1987 he slowly- and methodically built up the state on liberal lines, as an out- post of the democracies in the heart of Europe. The trade of the country flourished and Its productions reached every part of the world. Bata, Skoda and Pilsen were household words which showed how enterprising those people were.
✩
*
THE annexation of Austria however in 1938 scaled the doom of Czecho-Slovakia, -since- it exposed its flank and soon its' turn to be swallowed up 'come on the Ides of March, that fatal day of 1939. ·
It was the crowning treachery, this violation by Hitler of his pledge given to Mr. Chamberlain six months before at Munich, that really pre- cipitated the present war, since It was clearly evident that the word of the Nazi leader could in no circumstances be trusted. The inclusion of Czecho- Slovakia within the Austro--
It was as a result of these riots that more than 100 students were executed and a ordered them to make that his- Hungarian Empire lasted 28 further 2,000, together with toric their professors, were conveyed;
to concentration camps.
CZECHO-SLOVAKIA has now
once
journey right across
PLEASE Turn To Page 9.
MAC'S BIG GAME
got its own government
HAD not seen Mac for many years į "To my surprise it did not Im- under President Benes, and its when I ran across him by chance mediately attack me again but stood awn army fighting under itan Bahlo. He had been an entertain-back, its tail lashing furiously. Then own officers in France. In the ing fellow at school, so I was quite I remembered my revolver. I drew United States and in Great pleased when he asked me to his it quickly from beneath my pillow
house for lunch.
Fand cocked. Again, before, I could Britain and France there are After a pleasant meal we sat in are the beast leapt, and again my properly organised departments cool room from which we could look irearm was smashed from my hand. which carry on the affairs of down on the blue water of the At-The blow threw the revolver across the Czecho-Slovak government, that the tropics were not so bad after realised I was lost. Almost, at the lantic, dring iced whisky, and think the room, and in a second of time I but the headquarters of the fall.
Bane moment a shot rang out, and National Council for the time. After a time our talk turned to the jaguar fell to the ground. being are in Chicago.
hunting, and Mac pointed to a fine: "It was only after, some minutes The spirit of Czecho-Slovakia big spotted skin which served as a that" I understood what had hap
rug on one corner of the polished pened. The lives on and is bound to emerge floor.
revolver had struck against the wall and gone off. The triumphant in the end, for the D'you see that akin?" sald Mac. Jaguar had literally shot himself," tradition in strong coming "That Jaguar nearly got me before Mac looked at the spotted sitiz through such great men as Com-get It."
fondly and took another whisky, He took another long drink of meníus and established
That was some years ago. Last
I met a friend again firmly by Masaryk, that whisky, sat back in his chair and told week
who is just the story.
home from India.. tall handsome hero who worked "It was in Matto Grosso," he went
"Do you know whom I met out his way up against great odds, on. "I was spending the night in a there?" ite sald, "Old Moc!" entered two universities, Leipzig small cabin and the door had no lock.
expressed my surpriso, and Vienna, became a professor there was any
I was all alone, but I did not feel
"Yes," said my friend from India. special danger, and "And he's had some thrilling times, in Prague University where he when I lay down I had my rifle be too. He had a narrow escape from revived the true Czech spirit alde me. As an extra
my pillow, sleeping alone in his bungalow when should give themselves over to might have been no war. Who nely, and, finally, became the and then fell fast asleep.
the beas! came in. It attacked him, dull, humourless chanting about knows? The portentous gravity Slovaks and founder of the New movement. I turned over on my side room and struck thepard fell dead. liberator of the Czechs and it had been sleeping for a good and during the struggle Mac's 10- ime when I was awakened by a sott volver went spinning across the the "Fatherland, which is all of the leaders of the Nazi creed, Republic,
and looked towards the door. You went off and the the marching music in which their utter lack of humour and
can imagine how I felt when I saw Shot through the heart!" Nazi legions are permitted to their inability to laugh or amille,ASARYK in 1917 wandered moonlight.
a full grown jaguar standing in the That spotted skin occins to be serving Mae very well, I do not indulge?
are sure symptoms of tho from country to country my rifle. I had it ready and was Africa or not, but I think he should. Little by little I reached out for now whether he intends going to politico-mental disease that is rallying his forces. In Russia just about to fire when the beast You see, the spotted skin. ance Had Naziam been capable of largely responsible for Europe's he collected into three divisions leapt. Before I had time to press covered an African leopard, and he singing "Roll Out the Barrel," present travail.
all those Czechs who found the trigger the brute had lashed out might as well have the whole story themselves in that country, hands.
and knocked the rifle from my right.
Miller Watson
seriously, rather than that they or a German equivalent, there which he himself expressed so put my revolver under Precaution I a leopard not so long ago. He was
☆
⭑
☆.
"T