1940-05-28 — Page 8

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THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 28, 1940.

MIRROR OF WORLD

OPINION

THE FOG OF WAR

Now that battle has been joined we must expect the news to be, not in- deed meagre, but almost invariably delayed. It is of vital importance not to give the enemy information about the movements of Allied forces, and the impatient will do well to recall that, even when these are in full con tact with the enemy, it does not necessarily follow that the enemy's High Command knows precisely the situation of its own troops-and still less that it knows that of ours. Mean- while rumour, be it favourable or the contrary, should be disregarded.

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Some jolts there must be; in fact, if there were anything to be expected with confidence, was something surprising method and technique. It may safely be assumed that the German High Command will never act in the obvious manner. That and the meticulous at- tention paid to detail, the combination of originality and care, constitute the greatest strength of German staff work. This strength is founded upon trea- chery; but that is no news to us and renders it no less immediately formid-. able, though it may have such an effect in the long run. Vigorous action by parachutists and troop-carrying aircraft was expected, but the scale on which it has been taken appears extraordinary. The German Com- mand may have banked on a greater measure of success on the part of the air raiders than they have actually attained, but it is not likely to have hung its whole scheme upon such suc- cess. All's" grist to Hitler's mill, and all the damage done and the confusion created by the raiders would help, even if their effect had fallen short of expectations.

In the same way we must remember that though Germany has pow.com- Imitted herself to the offensive in the West, brought Holland and Belglum into the war, and bombed French ter- ritory while British and French air- craft have also bombed military ob- jectives on hers-yet she has not so far committed more than advanced ground forces. This offensive may even now develop in a manner somewhat differ- ent to what we may call normal.

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Here then, coupled with the fact that certain groups of parachutists and other air-borne troops are still holding out upon objectives which they have seized, and that at Rotter damn and The Hague these forces amount almost to small armies, is as much of the situation as has yet em- erged from the fog of war. On a broader outlook it may be said that we have been given longer to prepare than we can have hoped for, even if perhaps not so long as we could have desired, and ample time to realize what form our aid to the Low Countries must assume. Memories of 1914 must arise in many minds as we see photographs women holding out bunches of flowers to the advancing troops. In 1914 the Allies wasted time, and so wasted some of the effect of the gallant resistance of the Belgians by allowing them to be defeated piece-meal. It would be a sad misreading of the les sons of Norway should they be taken to imply that speed in itself was essentially dangerous, whereas it is in fact often an element of safety. We cannot. let the bomber dictate to us until it has proved its decisive effect against well-armed troops supported by: fighter aircraft, and that it has certainly not accomplished yet. Be yond that "ho early success should be allowed to elate us at home, and no

check should depress us, any more than the armies in the field, who will take either as all in the day's work. The campaign which has now opened, however it should develop, however widely the scope of the operations should extend, is not going to be bitter conflict lies ahead, and it may easily won or easily lost. A grim and

spread far from the Low Countries where it has begun, as other conflicts have spread in the past. Yet we know where we stand; we feel that we can brace ourselves to the effort needed; we

believe that, though victory may be far off, we have taken a step towards it.The Times" (May 14).

The grand strategy in all the fields must remain in the hands of the Supreme War Council-the body of statesmen, and military, naval and air experts brought together at the begin- ning of the war. We heard of its meeting last week, and it would have been reassuring to hear more of it in last week's debates. To this body falls or should fall the general planning and the assignment of their parts to the different Governments, whose business it then becomes to sustain these parts, to inform the Council of any difficulties or disabilities in doing so, and, when it thinks necessary; to influence the Council to change the general plan or any part of it. the supremacy of this Council a reali- Only by making

ty can a partnership of many Allies expect to be on an equality with a totalitarian enemy controlling every- thing from one centre.

Such a body, moreover, should re- move the strategy of the war from the tics and keep the professional judg- changes and chances of internal poli-

ment steady against gusts of popular depression or elation, or demands for successes which could not be won without too great sacrifice. To make it function regularly without weaken- ing the responsibilities of the separate Governments is not an easy problem, but necessity and good will working together should solve it. The know- ledge that this competent body was in final control should steady nerves and set a limit to the expression of doubts

and fears. Assurance that cool brains are at work is the best corrective to unsteady nerves.

THE OTHER NEUTRALS

A word remains to be said to non- totalitarian neutrals who are nervous- ly awaiting the future. They have had their warning of the danger of the Nazi "Fifth-column" method, and have apparently profited by it. A cleaning- up from within seems everywhere to be in progress. But this in itself is not enough. These nations must by now perceive that, in proportion as they look to the Allies for help, the nervousness which prevents them even from concerting hypothetical plans those who are anxious to come to their aid, when the call comes, adds un- necessarily to the difficulties.

Again, while we make all allowance for the pressure on them from the enemy, we may ask them to realise what they are doing when they supply this enemy. It cannot be an agree- able thought to the Swedes that the products of their labour are going to the support of the army which is in- vading Norway and is now attacking Belgium and Holland. Nor to others who value their liberty, and see them- selves next on the list of the proscrib- ed, can it be comforting to reflect that they are, no doubt, unintentionally, but none the less effectively, protect- ing a large part of Germany from in- vasion and to that exten releasing its forces for use against their neighbours in distress. Other greater neutrals there are who look with apprehension to the spread of the war to distant seas within their spheres influence, but these had better be left to draw their own conclusions. For us there is only one conclusion, which is that this mis- chief must be killed at the source. „J. A. Spender, in The Sunday Times.

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 28, 1940.

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"CHINA MAIL'S "

MAP OF THE

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BASEL SWITZERLAND

GERMAN LOSSES AT TIMES ASSUMING PROPORTIONS OF A MASS MASSACRE

London, To-day.

THE VERY HIGH CASUALTIES suffered by the Ger- mans in the attacks of the past few days were mentioned in French official communiques last night and unofficial reports reaching London ,lend further emphasis to this aspect of the fight-

ing in Northern France and Belgium. Losses inflicted on the Germans were described by a military spokesman in Paris as, at times, assum- ing the proportions of a massacre and he added that the French were amazed by the German persistence after slaughter in which whole Ger- man units were wiped out by French guns.

In their accounts of recent develop- ments on the battle front, British cor- respondents also constantly refer to the magnitude of German losses and to the fact that every ounce

of the enemy's strength and resources are be- ing thrown into the present battle ir- respective of the losses suffered,

B.E.F. MAIL RESTRICTED

LONDON, TO-DAY.

600,000 MORE MEN CALLED UP

London, To-day. Another 600,000 men will register for the armed forces before the end of June under an Order just issued requir~~~ ing the 1911 Class to re- gister on June 15 and the 1912 Class on June 22. Reuter.