1941-03-21 — Page 7

TheNaval Situation

The basic fact of the naval situation is that the maritime lines

af communication all over the world are controlled by the Brit- ish Fleet. The only exception is the Baltic Sea. There, owing to the seizure of Denmark, the 'en- trances are effectively controlled by Germany. This control does not extend to within the range of enemy shore batterics, so that the eastern entrance to the English Channel by the Straits of Dover is in dispute. Everywhere

else,

By Lord Strabolgi

the control is effective; and this despite the two major events since the present war broke out the capitulation of France and the intervention of Italy.

Effective control dues not mean that occasional blockadé runners cannot enter enemy con- trolled ports nor that surface rai- ders, usually disguised, such as the vessel recently engaged by the armed merchant cruiser Caruar- von Castle, cannot escape on to the trade routes usually by way of the Norwegian coust which is itself held by the Germans. Fur- thermore, submarines owing to their facilities for evasion, operate against British merchant shipping as they did right through the last war. What it does mean is that, apart from a certain per- centage of loss through enemy action, British merchant shipping can sail the seas and carry on an export and import trade and troops and their equipmînt can be moved freely to any theatre of war in British convoys.

can

It would not be practicable, for example, for the Germans to send an army by sea anywhere except in the Baltic. The invasion of the British Isles, if ever attempt- ed, would be hazardous and in- deed would only be possible at all if such air ascendancy could be obtained by the Germans over This spring will be a very cruel the English Channel or the North

but our

British be Sea that the courage will

warships maintained by the reflection that could be driven away for a long Germany now cannot win,

enough period for the invading Supplies from the United States troops and their equipment to be still lag behind the goodwill of landed and for their lines of com- that country, and we have had munication to be kept open for One is apt to forget how much bitter lessons here to teach us how further supplies. In the Mediter-

to develop a

ranean the Italian Fleet has been we depended in all our military long it takes plans on the French army. That time economy. But President so reduced by the air attacks on it should have gone out of the Roosevelt is a "non-belligerent" į Taranto and the naval action off war just at the sqre time as we and not a neutral, and the re- Sardinia that their armies in Lib- lost the guns und supplies of our sources of the New World are in-ya could not be aided. While the own expeditionary

was a exhaustible. force

So, too, must our battle of Cyrenaica was being disaster the magnitude of which courage be,

fought, British warships werd In difficult moments ahead I able to support the advancing the Italian shall remember a sight of inde- army and bombard scribable beauty during London's positions and coastal road with- fires. I was in Ludgate Circus out interference from the Italian looking up the hill towards St.Navy.

Especially near St. Paul's Cathe-cused if he decided our defeat was dral there are acres where no wall inevitable, is in sufficiently good repair to remain when these devastated areas are rebuilt. The little nar-

We shall have something to thank Hitler for amongst the many reasons for reviling bìm. But these blackened ruins still smouldering sulkily are a terrible sight. And a terrible condemna-

tion,

I will not pretend that we valued the ancient churches and other buildings as we should have done, for no people ever treasures. its artistic possessions at their

Conditions inside the walls are indescribably wretched. Disease is kept down only by the unceas- ing efforts of the Jewish physicians who must live there and to whom the Germans, from instincts real value. of self-preservation, al- low a limited amount of medical supplies. Condi- tions in the country-side rival the hardships in the towns.

for approaching enemy bombers. The destruction of December 29 was such a blatant act of vandal- ism that it has aroused more an- ger than many raids in which the loss of life has been heavy but where the presence of military objectives made them a little less

-By- Vernon Bartlett

war

Paul's. Most of the time smokė The defence of Egypt and the from a near-by fire entirely con- | counter-attack on the invading cealed the Cathedral but occasion-force were made possible because ally it was blown aside for a mo convoys of troopships and supply menf, and behind the black clouds, ships could be taken through the one saw the great dome, it up Mediterranean to Alexandria un- by another fire, with the golden der the cover of British naval cross at the top of it shining as though it were in blazing sun- shine. And

the

our

forces.

as

to

we are only realising now that we have recovered from it. We had no right to expect that within six months of it we should take the offensive so successfully against Italy. That we have been able to

in front of this It is true that although much do so naturally gives us courage.

The second occasion when the magnificent background, railroad of the equipment and stores were

decided we trucks still moved across

sent to Egypt round the Cape of Good Hope for convenience, at But our sorrow at their disap- pessimists abroad

even though were lost was in September, when bridge over the road, carrying on pearance is sincere

Hitler began his mass bombing as usual despite the surrounding any time a large convoy can be we took them for granted.

We had awaited these air chaos and terror. No picture could sent from one end of the Medit- Some of the churches that have raids.

have symbolised

erranean to the other facing only been destroyed come into our attacks uneasily since the begin-better

the usual hazards of war. nursery rhymes and their towers ning of the war; and they had all struggle.

In the same way the British are or spires are as familiar to every the terrors of the unknown. We

now garrisoning Crete, and have Londoner as his own doorstep. do not pretend to like them, but

(Continued from Next Col.) stationed naval and aerial forces And since the war began many we are now confident that they

preventing defeat, forcements which have since been in that island, thus Newcomers by the thou- of us have become more aware of cannot bring about our

the balance of their beauty for

naval any Italian naval action in even should they be supplement- added. The we have spent

aid their campaign sand, once prosperous

of power would not be affected by Aegean to so much time on the roofs of highed by invasion and the use

the completion of the new Ger- against the Greeks and blockad- traders ог professional buildings watching the sky-line poison gas.

For the people have been man warships. A certain propor-ing the Dodecanese Islands. The men, are brought in by

weighed in the balance, and have tion of the French fleet is man- often debated problem

ned by adherents of General 'de whether air power could counter- freight car and turned out

not been found wanting. to shift for themselves as

Hitler has achieved very great Gaulle and is cooperating with balance British naval power in the successes in 1940, although not so the British Navy, and these in- Mediterranean would appear to be solved. Similarly the Italian gar- best they can.

great as he promised his Nazis a clude the old battleship Courbet

risons In Abyssinia and East In the Soviet provinces

year ago. Half a dozen states have which was completely reconstruct- matters are no better. Yet

become his slaves. But we have ed and re-boilered in 1929. Even Africa can neither be reinforced now the heartening proof that the if Germany obtained the use of nor supplied by there is an endless and

Axis powers are not infallible. the French warships which adhere therefore living on their accumu- two crowning to the Vichy Government, Britain lated stores.

German naval losses since the aimless migration of mis-

They have made military blunders in six months. would still have sufficient margin erables from the Soviet

Hitler might have succeeded had to maintain effective control of outbreak of war, and especially the Norwegian campaign, have hell to the Nazi Hades and

he invaded us immediately after the sea routes.

been so heavy that only two this situation, To meet the collapse of France, when our

large warships of the original from the Gouvernement

troops were unarmed and our na- German High Command is Generale to Nazidom, as

tion benumbed by the fall of its tempting to counter the British German Fleet survive. These are blockade by sinking merchant the battle-cruiser Scharnhorst and the Lutzow "pocket-battleship”, rumour falsely spreads a towards a brightor horizon. Why? Mussolini might have reached ships with submarines, long range

formerly the Deutschland. One hope that life may be less Because we have survived two the Suez Canal had he ordered aircraft, surface raiders and by arduous elsewhere.

periods of gravest crisis during Graziani to push forward, what-the laying of minefields, usually heavy cruiser of the Hipper class the past year and have not been ever the cost, at that same period, from aircraft at night. This coun- and, at the most, four light cruis- In Poland the opera- broken by them.

since we were suddenly so ter-ter-blockade is aided by the use ers survive, One heavy, cruiser, While the whole night sky of ribly outnumbered in Northern of French ports, notably Brest the Prinz Eugen, may be ready tions of the "new order London was lit by flames as never Africa and could spare so little in and Lorient, giving access direct next year and two new battle- are untrammeled, for all since the great fire of nearly the way of reinforcements. to the Atlantic and also by rank-ships, the Bismarck and Tirpitz, opposition has been piti hundsevelt was telling his and it will not be pleasant. Ger flotilla of submarines. The sink of battle of the British Navy con- three hundred years ago, Pre We have now to face a blockade, ing use of the considerable Italian will be completed soon. The line. lessly crushed and the people how convinced he was of man submarines can operate from ings of merchant ships have reach-sists of 14 dreadnoughts gut of the coast of France and we anted a serious level and it has taken the 15 at the beginning of the closed frontier keeps the out victory..

And yet twice during the last not operate from the coast of Ire-time for the British counter-mea-war and certain Important rein- ¿Continued at fool of "Prenading Col.) world from looking in.

"year anybody could have been ex“ land. The cooperation between the "sures to be" brought into play,

criminal.

And although I spent hours on the night of December 29 watch- ing these fires, the largest and most terrible I had ever seen, their very senselessness strength ened my conviction of our coming victory.

From the smouldering ruins one can look out with confidence ally.

!..

the at-

sea and are