1939-10-16 — Page 9

Page

THE CHINA MAIL, ÖCTOBER 16, 1939.

BRITAIN'S PART IN STRATEGY OF THE WAR

London, To-day: MUCH IS BEING MADE in German Agency reports of passages appearing here and there in French newspapers which give the impression of voic- ing disappointment or dissatisfaction with the character or scale of British military assistance. Like the British, and unlike the German, the French Press is free and British and French newspapers, expressing varied and independent views, con- tain opinion and comment both well-informed and less well-informed, and considered and less well-considered.

The excerpts from French news- papers chosen by the Nazi propa- gandists could, as a matter of fact, be matched in substance, and surpassed in vigour, by comment in certain English newspapers, but it would not serve the purpose of the Germans to reproduce it.

Nor, incidentally, in the case either of the French or British Press does such comment reflect responsible or the generally prevalent opinion.

CLEARLY, EXPOUNDED

It is understood by the public both here and in France, as it has long been well understood between the two Governments, that the roles of the two countries in war, determined as they must be by historical, geogra- phical and economic factors,.cannot be identical. The form and extent of

THREE FRENCH

SHIPS SUNK

Paris, To-day.

Three French steamers whose names are given as Mingust, Bra- tagne and Louisiane have been sunk in the past three days 20- cording to "L'Intransigeant."

Reuter.

British military intervention on the GERMAN

Continent has been clearly' expounded in the Commons speeches of the Se- cretary for War on the Army Estim- ⚫ates and in other pronouncements which were the subject at the time of approving notice in both countries.

In Britain, the Military Service Act has made all fit males between the ages of 18 and 41 liable to be called up and although at present only the 20-21 age groups are being registered for immediate training to supplement the numbers already under

CAMPAIGN

AGAINST NEUTRALS

London, To-day.

arms, The brunt of the German approximating one million men, U-boat campaign on mer-

chant shipping has so

volunteers up to the military age limit are being enrolled simultaneously.

far

Mr. Hore-Belisha revealed last week been borne by the Scandina-

vian countries.

that since the outbreak of war 50,000 volunteers had been accepted.

"WISE ECONOMY"

In all, 23 neutral merchant ships have been sunk to date, while nine Swedish ships have been held up at Goteborg on account of the danger of German mines.

Germany may soon begin to ques- of sinking neutral tion the wisdom shipping, in view of the fact that the Scandinavian countries are practically which Germany the only ones with can continue trade by sea.

Since introducing the convoy sys-

The British and French authorities are assured of the endorsement of the best informed opinion in both coun- tries, if in a war not of their seeking, they practice what "Scrutator" in the "Sunday Times" yesterday called "a wise economy of manpower" and this, not only in the field and in such oper- the ations as those of the French in Saar to which this writer was refer- ring, but on the economic and indus-tem, 1,275 British and 47 Allled ships

trial fronts as well.

In the latter sense, wise economy means the well-thought-out, planned and controlled disposition of the avail- able resources of manpower.

have been safely convoyed to their destinations up to October 10.

No convoyed ship has been sunk by enemy submarines.

It is pointed out in London that financial difficulties may As the War Secretary declared last German

German merchant ships to Wednesday, in referring to the hapha-compel zard recruiting and drafting of skilled leave the neutral ports where they' taking refuge owing to men out of industry to the Army in have been the war, "experience has taught us to their inability any longer to pay har- avold many of the errors of the last bour dues. occasion."

CATCH-PHRASE MENTALITY To the mentality which takes little account of the deeper politic strategic considerations, and is apt to express

"This itself in the catch-phrase

Already a German 4,000-tons vessel has been arrested at Curacao owing to inability to pay harbour dues. British Wireless.

writer

Is have done nothing to prevent the ar- A Funny War," the transport of 158,- rival of the Allied Armies in their their 000 men to France with the vast positions, the organisation of

and lines of communication and the mọ- equipment of a modern army the installation of a base and lines ofbilisation of their war industries.

——ASLON MANOEUVRES communication, may not be an

Germany's opponents, this achievement of sufficiently spectacu-

these lar character to give satisfaction, but points out, have completed

and the truer estimate of their significance movements with the precision is in the statement of a French mili- calm of manoeuvres and it is now tarý expert that it ranks with the too late to hinder them.

of the is the Understanding in France greatest military, feats and "Arst victory for the Allies · In the real value of what Britain has done already, so far in the war on land, war."

This judgment finds a sympathetic is the counterpart of the appreciation neutral scho in the observation of the here of the motives and skill of French Military. Correspondent of the Swiss strategy and the fundamental import-

that ance of the gains already achieved. newspaper; "National Zeitung" it is the most amazing feature of the These are habitually belittled war in the West that the Germani-German 3 reports, which ́ ́ speak of

Page g

H.M.8. Royal Sovereign, alster-ship of the "Royal Oak," which was sunk by an enemy submarine on Saturday.

Saarbrucken as an open town only their growing mastery on the sea and two miles Inside the frontier, and in the air, the Allies are not likely has not to fall a prey to discord, the possibil- represent the fact that it already fallen into the hands of the ity of which Nazi propaganda seeks to suggest by the rather clumsy me- enemy as a defeat for the French.

referred to above.-British With so many solid achievements to thods

as Wireless. the credit of their arms, as well

TUBORG BEER

Supplied to The Royal Danish Court, The Most Popular Danish Beer on the Market. Obtainable at all Wine Dealers, Clubs & Hotels,

Sole Agents:-

GANDE, PRICE & CO., LTD.

}

WINE AND SPIRIT MERCHANTS St. George's Building, No. 2, Ice House Stree Tel. No. 20185.