1941-05-02 — Page 39

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THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 2, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

“WINDSOR HOUSE

EPIC OF GREECE

Sufficient has now been revealed of the Greek episode to lift the gloom, dismiss fears of catastro- phe, and weigh the gains against the losses with a more assured sense of balance. Mr. Churchill, in his brilliant speech of Sunday, did much to shat- ter the John Gordons, to restore any lagging of: British and American faith and to put the set- back in its proper pers- ; pective. His disclosure in the House of Commons that 45,000 of 60,000 An-: zac and British troops sent to Greece have been safely evacuated com- pletes the job. Without vainglory and without! losing sight of the pain- fulness of our losses, we can cheerfully echo the sentiments of the Prime Minister that "we have, much to be thankful for and the Empire forces; have much to be proud of."

M

Rg

PLYMOUTH, 1941.

Crucial Battle

Beyond a doubt, our losses are infinitesmal compared with those in- flicted upon the Germans, while the evidence strong- ly suggests that the with-

The bus principles of war re- drawal was not necessitalmain the site concentration, ed by the inability of the offensive action, security Success Imperial forces to carry development of offensive on as gloriously as they from a secure base aganist a well began in their sector, but the thury of new

chosen ohjeelive

11 Sometimes,

catch-phrases by the heavy fateful deci- and new weapons, võe tend to for. ¡ sion forced

the upon

Pet these fact, its true to-day as they were when the first rave- Greeks that their armies men clashed with elith and stone

AFL ATT 1.15 dependent m

undertake naval

the Rettun

}

By

Major George Fielding Eliot

tions in the Atlantic

and am opera-the Atlantic berumess

ar-

the Japanese further priceless portions, but at the first sign of aggression.

West Africa A

Problem Too

the

Ocean for offensive theatre, we must realise bases could only be located in the protection of vital communi- that its demands become primary;

We have next a security pro- blem to be dealt with 111 West Africa. The Germans are adept | ut making flank or enveloping at- tacks, at avorting direct assault in the field, after monthsi

iority that. with carefully

for the indirect method which When, therefore, we and our- ranged plans for Joint defence | strikes with

against of heroic

strength effort against selves with military problems to with the British and Dutch. We weakness, which diverts, weakens tremendous odds, had solve, we should try to solve them ought to be able to deal with¦ and undermines. If we engaged reached a stage

in the light of these principles, ¦ any attempt by the Japanese to in North Atlantic operations, they | of ex Specifically, as we contemplate the extend their power in the region would seek to divert us in haustion from which ressity for the United States to of the South China Seu, But if South Allanbe. For this purpose there could be no lasting

mum they would need bases, and these recovery. In the circum- stances, evacuation be- came inevitable, and the Imperial army, supported

offensive operations, in which we must send them there. We might throughout by two

or must concentrate such forces as thus have to cut down, for the three divisions of stout- may be necessary to accomplish time being, the striking power of

our objective.

our Pacific Fleet; which means hearted Greek troops,

that for the time being we might We may be quite sure that every | have to assume the defensive in fought their way back to

effort will be made by our op- the Pacific. the sea, always sufficient-ponents to prevent us from doing ly in command of the sit- this. These efforts are likely to take two forms: threatening Jap- the anese moves in the Far East, and body. threatening Axis moves in West dies and Singapore to the Japan

rear-widespread raids on shipping, per- ment might be tantamount to the never haps on American shipping as loss of the war, for it might cut

to

ensure

uation safety of the main Never was their thin guard line broken; did it falter.

If the cost has been great to Britain and Lo

cations with Great Britain. WO must realise that once we have taken this decision, the North At- antic becomes a major theatre of

Africa-coupled, of course, with

well as Britain's.

such counter-action.

Atlantic Must Come

→ First

half measures are the ineyitable prelude to defent, and if cruisers, destroyers and aircraft carriers are needed in the Atlantic, we

some of the Atlantic islands, or on the west coast of Africa with- in reach of the German land-air power. They lack the mobility which command of the sea con- fers, and can use only such bases as they can reach and supply by land,

Our requirements, therefore, are (1) to strengthen, by supplies and other means, the British in their West African positions, and the Free French in Equatorial Africa as well as the Belgians in that there can be the the Congo, so East In- no chance of the Axis pushing in- to any of these areas; (2) to make position becomes available to the certain that no other West African

Germans.

But this dues not and must not mean the abandonment Philippines, the Dutch

of

Ese. The effect of such abandon-

his Balkans adventure. Enormous casualties, dis- rupted communications, closure for months of the In the Far East, the presence of Danube, and two hostile the Fleet at Hawail and the ud- vance guard Asiatic Fleet at Man- peoples to keep under, re-ila gives so great a naval super-ut Hong Kong and Malaya, and present a totally dispro- portionate price for the

be

off Great Britain from sources of

It does not seem impossible raw materials and foodstuffs which that some arrangement could We must be prepared against could not be replaced, and might arrived at by which the United We ought produce a complete collapse of States, could enter into an agree- to give thought, not only to cun- her Middle Eastern campaign, ment assuring the military safety Greece, there is plentiful centration of offensive power in

with the consequent release of of the Portuguese colonial empire, cause for satisfaction in the main theatre, but to the sec-German forces for concentration an arrangement similar to that

urity of lines of communication,

against Britain.

already reached with regard to any study of the corres-strategic flanks, and interests in

Greenland. Of course the Ger- ponding cost to Hitler of other parts of the world.

Consequently we should produce mons would threaten Portugal a defensive concentration in the with direct attack, but Germany Philippines of forces not so im- is hardly anxious for fresh milit mediately useful in the Atlantic-ary adventures at the time, and troops, land-based 'planes of sec- would be less so were we to be ond-line types, submarines and active in the North Atlantic. In we should thoroughly co-ordinate any case, Germany will attack our plans for the defence of the Portugal when it is to Germany's South China Sea with the British Interest to do so, quite regardless

of whether Portugal's previous at the Dutch. It should be possible titude has or has, not been "cor-. to retain a sufficient naval force rect" in..the Wilhelmstrasse sense. in the Pacific so that. in co- of that word. An arrangement of operation with British, Dutch and this sort with Portugal would give Australian forces, the Japanese us positions not only in the Azores. would be faced with a greater and Cape Verde Islands, but also risit than any reasonable Japanese in Portuguese Guinea, on Africa's officer would care to advise his western bulge. government to assume. The great These are all far-flung and rath- thing is to make it clear to the er startling considerations, or so Japanese that we are not only they will seem to most Ameri- prepared to fight any fresh aggros- cans; yet they are a part of the sion, but have the will to fight; picture of maritime security, and that any step by step" policy of it is maritime security upon which small advances will meet imme- the future of our people. and of diata rosistarice, not after a long freedom in this world must series of aggressions have given founded.

strategic gain. Moreover, she has staked her na the Greeks are by no tional life on the belief means vanquished. Greece that Britain must win, in won the first clearcut vic- the end, and she fights on tory over aggression in from Crete, secure in the this war. And though Hit- tradition of a people that ler's mechanical men has watched history thr have clanked into Athens, ough the ages write the the fight will still con- epitaphs of all its con- tinue. Like Yugoslavia querors.

be

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