1941-05-16 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 16, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

A STRAW IN THE WIND

The flight of Rudolf Hess to Britain, by virtue of his position in the German hierarchy, has such possibilities that the world remains gasp- ing and conjecturing as to the underlying ex- planation.

VICHY

TRADE: INDUSTRY

DEFENCE

CAMBODIA

INDO

-

CHINA

CO-PROSPERITY MEAL

Until Mr. Churchill makes his promised statement, there can be no dependable clue to the exact reason for the desperate action. The attempt of the Nazis to discredit any statement| he may make by urging his insanity is useless. Į They cannot overcome the known fact that until a few days ago he was tak- ing a prominent part in public life. He figured on the programme arranged for the birthday celebra- tions in honour of Hitler, delivering an eulogy on the Fuehrer on that occa- | sion, and on May 1st he addressed employees of an armament factory at Augsburg. If Hess Deputy - Fuehrer and third most important official in the German Reich, suffered from mental derangement of any sort as the Berlin broadcast tried to in- sinuate, the question must naturally arise why

more senses than one. Britain 15 such an unstable person till waging there a war of block- was permitted to ade, which we propuse to tighten to the limit. This is the purpose hold extremely respon-of Dr. Hugh Dalton, Minister of sible posts for so many Economic Warfare, in asking the Tull participation of the United years and permitted to States in freezing Axis credits and make decisions vitally boyrotting Axis trade throughout vast waiting room, crowded with affecting the party.

THA

From Morocco To Turkey

Where now is Europe? As the scene of battle shifts to the other

side of Lite Mediterranean, thei Continent seeing left behind

in

By

Anne O'Hare McCormick

this hemisphere; and he would millions of hungry human beings not have sprung this

plan on living in darkness and coma. They

it were not already under consi-

The theory that his American reporters in London if are reconditioned while they wait, flight indicates dissen- deration in Washington. The of course, so the issues at stake are sion amongst the party Royal Air Force is intensifying the being decided by them as much war in the air, stepping up the leaders seemed

us by the combatants. surely size and tempo of the raids on based. It has been cate the Channel ports and the Gier- production centres. Diplo- gorically denied in Eng-mats are applying as much pres land that he carried sure as they can on Spain, Portu- proposals from the Ger-al and unoccupied France. man Government.

They are Europe. Yet Iraq is Europe, too, Crete is Europe. The pink house out on the Anatolian hills beyond Ankara is Europe, for there President Ismet Ineunu will ponder Turkey's reply to the Greece. For message Franz von Papen has

Hel But we are out of the Continent!

obviously left Germany patched troops to

as we were not before we dis-

nervous of what Hess might be willing divulge.

ger,

Wherever it is fought, this con-

a tree,

1 Disarmed and defeated, the French are at the mercy of Hitler. He holds nearly 2,000,000 hostages, controls the food supply, exercises absolute police powers. If in such circumstances the Lavals and de Brinons have failed to speed up a policy of "collaboratiori” with Germany, resistance must be very strong, from the old Marshal down to wives of the war prisoners. It is inconceivable that France should fight Britain and inevitable that the Germans will use every means to coerce her The re- emergence of this tragic issue

shows how literally the war for Europe is merely transferred to North Africa.

The clash in Iraq proves the same point. it is not by chance that a pro-Axis government is established at Baghdad,

or that opposition to Britain flares up in this frowsy capital on the Tigris. Nor is it only a question of oil, rich and coveted as are the wells of Mosul.

Iraq is the strategic centre of

has been deliberately picked out

It can