1940-04-08 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 8, 1940

A number of girls of the Mechanised Transport Corpe are now un- dergoing the final part of their training before going overseas as a unit attached to the Anglo-French Ambulance Corps, for field hospital work with the French Army. Photo shows:-M.T.C. girle undergo kit Inspec- tion--a preliminary to departure oversens. (Air Mall).

STRATEGIC PROBLEMS OF THE NEAR EAST

chance of carrying strongly fortifled lines without tanks, whose consump- tion of oil they so gravely under-esti- mated in Poland.

Hazardous, in the most favourable conditions, forecast of a war that may spread over several countries, each with uncertain factors reacting on each other, offers almost limitless possibili- ties of error. The usefulness of the at- tempt is not in the prophecy, but in the chance of discovering elements that have been overlooked in the pro- blem.

(Continued from Page 10) Fleet would escort them through the Black Sea, and from a base on the coast of Rumania we might make dangerous headway against the Ger-gin early this Spring would have much man invasion..

THE OIL FACTOR

·

The view that the real war will be-

more to recommend it if we knew that Germany had supplies, especially of oil, to conduct a great offensive, but if there is any uncertainty about that, the beginning of major operations might be delayed much longer.

If there were no Anzacs free for employment, and Rumania could be crushed as easily, as she was in the last war, the possession of the oil wells in Rumania might be a serious tempta- We began this war determined to tion to Germany. But she would hardly | avoid such waste of life on the Wes- risk extended or hazardous operations | tern Front as in the last war, but such for this object. She draws supplies of oil from Rumania as it is, and the first effect of serious war would be to stop the supplies that she is already get- ting. On the whole, therefore, war on Rumania for the sake of her oil seems unlikely. For a more probable em- ployment for the Anzacs now in Palès- tine we might have to look elsewhere. If the Finns can keep up their heroic resistance, Russia will have very little energy to spare for other adventures. Even if they could only last out until the summer, the year might be too far advanced to start another serious campaign, and active military Co- operation between the Russian and German armies might be out of the question this year. But should the Finnish resistance unexpectedly col- lapse, and, still more unlikely, should the country settle down 'under a' con- queror from whom they can expect no consideration, one can imagine.de- velopments which would bring the Anzacs as far to the strategic front as ever they were in the last war.

a position as we are imagining might force us to do what we were deter- .mined not to do. The arrival of the Anzacs in Palestine recalls the old con- troversy in the Great War between the Westerners, who insisted on win- ring the war on the Western Front, and the Easterners, who saw in the East an easier and less costly way of victory. And it is arguable that un- covering Germany's Eastern Front was, in fact, the principal contribution to | victory. Certainly, if the Dardanelles could have been forced in 1915, the war might have been won earlier and at far less cost than it actually was

There is some reason to think that oil is rapidly becoming the main fac- tor of success or failure for Germany. In the last war the Turks attacked the Russians in the Caucasus, and the first suggestion of the Gallipoli campaign came from the Grand Duke Nicholas, who telegraphed to Lord Kitchener asking for a demonstration, naval or military, "which would cause the Turks. to withdraw some of the forces now acting against Russians in the Caucasus, and thus ease the posi- tion of Russia." In this war, if the Finnish entanglement no longer exist- ed, the attack might come from the side of the Russians, once they decided on military alliance with Germany. Many things are more unlikely than a Russian attack from the Caucasus in the direction of Mosul or Persia, stlf- fened, it may be, by a German division or two with tactical troops. - We are allies of Iraq, and should be obliged. to go to her assistance, and this task would naturally fall on the Anzacs In combination with the French Army *in: Syria,

IN THE SPRING? Or, in such a war, the attack might come from our side in the air. Air raids on. Baku from some advance point in Mosul would, if successful, go near to ending the war, and certainly would be a far less risky operation than an attack on the Siegfried Line. Nor Hest would Germany have the

Possibly the Anzacs in the Near East may have a chance of doing now what they failed to do in Gallipoli. They might gain for us the strategic initia- tive which is not yet in sight.

“ROSELLA” JAMS

·

A delicious Australian Jam, packed in 12 oz tins, in the following flavours:-

+

Quince, Apricot, Plum, Blackberry, Black- currant, Melon & Lemon, Pineapple & Melon, Pineapple, Raspberry, Raspberry & Red currant, and Gooseberry.

per tin 38 C. per tin

also

c.

5 lb tins at $2.00 each

THE

DAIRY FARM,

COLD

ICE

STORAGE CO., LTD. Pure Food Specialists.

Get out in front in money saving

&

DRIVE THIS LOWEST PRICE CAR-THE NEW 1940

STUDEBAKER CHAMPION

THAT'S OUT IN FRONT IN STYLE AND VALUE!

HONGKONG ‘HOTEL GARAGE

Stubbe Road

A new, very mild and mellow blend of choicest

Empire and exotic Pipe Tobaccos

INGEROHL'S STANDARD

MIXTURE

Packed in double- covered tins to keep the tobacco always fresh.

Obtainable at all

INGENOHL'S

STANDARD MIXTURE

4.02.

Phono 27778-9

Mild, Medium and Full

4 OZ.

0 .

.75

$1.35

$2.50

C. INGENOHL'S CIGAR STORES "LA PERLA DEL ORIENTE

and at other tobacconista