1941-08-06 — Page 39

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THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 6, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

THE SHADOW OF NAPOLEON

Through the fog of claim and counter-claim the certainty has emerged that the Germans have sustained a check. Per- haps it is only momen- tary, and the battle will roll on to-morrow; even so, in six weeks of heavy fighting they have achiev-

ed

the

no strategic success comparable to the Sedan break-through, they have clearly failed to cut Red Army into fragments or paralyse any great sections of it. So Napo- leon, advancing in the famous summer of 1812, with his earlier version of the same tactics of speed and encirclement, con- sistently failed to close his pincers, to bring off his combinations or secure the decisive battle on which he counted. And so the pale ghost of that! earlier corporal looms, just a little larger than before, just a shade more ominous, over the Hitler field headquarters.

H.K.N.D.C.

stie.

l

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN “OSTRICH” KICK?

"Shooting War" Seen

The war has reached two ma-f American troups, who will Jur crises. As the greatest cam-sume sole responsibility for paign in military history approa❘ defence during the course ches its climax in Western Russia, the war.

as- effective-a great increment of its strength will be added to the of British attempt to defeat Reichs- fuehrer Hitler's counter-blockade.

cannot

منا

It is curious how that shadow has grown.

We were reminded of it years ago, it now seems in Spain. With the first United States sailors and marines Reykjavik, Iceland's port, is But these things crash of bombs on Poland ute miles from German-occupied

have landed in Iceland, 600 stat-950 miles from Julianehaab, done, Iceland cannot be guarded Greenland, where America:)) indefinitely without shooting; of it was evident that these, Norway. in a sense that was never for the American occupation of from St. Johns,

troops are already stationed, and this there is no doubt. They were makers of history. Julianehaab in turn is 1,000 miles American objectives in true of 1914-'18,

Nfld.. were Iceland must

another shooting war" are not yet defin- incalculable American outpost, have

which in turn ed, however. Are we still fight- Napoleonic times. When consequences upon the course of is 1.250 miles from New

York. ing a

war of limited liability, a Hitler's barge fleets ap-

As 'planes must fly--with Iceland has been occupied

Stops strategically defensive war, in by at these intermediate ocean, which some of our 1940.

military peared in the Channel British troops since May,

for the first by a small force of Canu- ports we all saw Napo-dians, later by a larger British

out-

of

of Great leon's

The strength flatboats

at force.

troops at their maximum Boulogne; and when he estimated popularly al 60,000 to switched his planes and 80.000 men, but it is doubtful if

the war.

these

was

it reached more than one-third tanks from the invasion to one-half uf these figures. of Britain

British troops, who have to sudden, These

been guarding iceland against seizure and

By Hanson W. Baldwin

an

Iceland

strength is to be used purpose of preventing right German defeat Britain and the British Empire? Or is the occupation of the first step in what eventually is to become an "all-out" offen sive effort, not only to prevent the defeat of Britain, but to insure the defeat of Germany? Until these questions are answer- ed the extent of U.S. participa- tion in the war cannot be gauged. But it is already evident that regardless of objective, must be considerable. Held Implied

The garrison sent to Iceland Geographically and strategically to the equivalent of at least two

probably must eventually an there are differences of opinion divisions, perhaps more. It must as to whether or not Iceland is include a considerable number of by

part of the Western Hemisphere. anti-aircraft regiments and coyst This does not now matter. For artillery. The latter may take Iceland, whether or not it

outposts-Iceland is, therefore, 3,200 miles away, a distance that

crashing victory in the possible German Balkans, it

to the was Napo-hence a German threat leon, swinging suddenly British Isles-670 miles away Is shortened by direct, great- eastward to Austerlitz, all will now be withdrawn gradually circle routes to about 2,834 miles.

northern sea approaches to

the

and freed for duty elsewhere.

as u

naval base, and possibly as

British garrison entirely replaced

will be

WBS

that participation,

grow

pertinent to Western Hemisphere British

over the coast defence guns the