1941-09-06 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 6, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

ALWINDSOR HOUSE

THE ROCK

The tacit admissions in the comments of respon- sible German experts on the Russian campaign, of the reasons for the slow- ing down of the advance, of the tremendous and growing difficulties ex- perienced in maintaining supply communications, tell far more than the official communiques of the real situation on the far-flung battlefront. If the main Nazi objective was the swift, simultane- ous capture of Leningrad, Kiev and Moscow, the blitzkrieg has failed utter- ly. If the strategy was to prevent a grand-scale withdrawal by engaging the greatest possible num- ber of Russian troops before the German line of communications outran German ingenuity in organisation, the failure has been just as com- plete, and there can be only one explanation of the carefully phrased ex- pert analyses of the operations in the Nazi newspapers, that it is intended to prepare the public mind for a cam- paign that will extend into the winter.

a

This approach to vexing confession of frus- tration does not, of course, check Dr. Goebbels in his extravagances. The fall of Kiev is still

a matter of "days or hours," just as

it was eight weeks ago. The Russian forces in the

HANDS FULL

The Case

Leopold

MALAY

Of

III

The capitulation of the Belgian May 27 was isolated, their com- eleven times over a fortified place army was one of the surprises munications were cut, any retreat which was reproduced exactly to which provoked the most violent controversy. With the passing was impossible, they were with represent the Eben Emael fortress, time some rather obscure facts out supplies of food and ammuni- and these practice attacks were have been explained.

tion, and military operations, ex-carried out before the invasion.

Furthermore being carried out with thousands surrendering his army, only carri- tremely violent in character, were

Leopold III, by

of refugees wandering about in no ed out a strictly military act. He man's land, exposed to the re of did not conclude with the enemy. the two opposing armies.

any armistice treaty, nor peace

was accused of treason. It was On May, 27, 1940 King Leopold even stated that he had capitulat. ed without previously having warned the allies.

A recent lawsuit brought against

a British newspaper by Admiral It has also been established that treaty, nor political

agreement::

Sir Roger Keyes made it possible King Leopold II duly informed The case of Leopold III will pro- to throw light on the withdrawal the allies of his intention of capi-bably always remain very confùs- from action of the Belgian forces, The public statements showed that

The Belgian Army on the eve of

Leningrad sector have has been preparing for disintegrated SO many total war

while never for a much

times that it comes as seeking it quite a shock to learn on longer time than they

By Arthur Wauters

ed until such time as each of the actors in the drama is free to state the truth.

Leopold III, was a victim of one of the provisions of the Bel- gian Constitution, which rather stupidly confuses in case of war the functions of the head of the State with those of the head of the army.

This have themselves. alternate days, as it were, that strong Russian re- considerate of M. Stalin Paris and London, but they never was, no doubt, most in-

tulating. His messages reached

It was in this latter capacity: sistance is hampering the and his military advisers, arrived at the British headquar- that Leopold III was acting. He advance. Odessa was en- and it seems to be adding ters.

voluntarily submitted himself as circled and the garrison insult to injury when to

L

*

Page

ifficient quantity of MILK daily is necessary for the

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that 'surprise-packet' the problem is unfortunately of a

From the military point of view a prisoner; he wished to share the THESE FACTS MAKE lot of his soldiers. History will was falling over itself in

has been joined the tragic simplicity.

The Belgian probably very shortly show whe- efforts to escape in ships scorched earth policy. For Army, which had

ther Leopold III did not, make1 á fought with

mistake when he allowed himself being systematically sunk the first time, the Ger- great heroism for seventeen days,

to be guided rather as Comman- by the Luftwaffe a fort-mans meet a formidable was crushed by the weight of

der-in-Chief than as head of the night ago. But the city, foe on territory stripped numbers and supplies...

State. All the other sovereigns of curiously, still holds out before they arrive, where The campaigns in Greece and nations who have been attacked Have gone into exile and followed' without any noticeable proper roads are few or Crete which have occurred a year their governments. difficulty.

do not exist, and the rail- after the unfortunate Belgian ex-

The position is becoming more The trouble appears to way changes gauge at the perience have shown the impor-

complicated now because at the be, from the German frontier. To bring up tance in tactics of the supply present time the Germans are factor. One example is sufficient to freeing_Belgian prisoners-of-war. point of view, not only supplies for an army well illustrate the crushing German What will be the moral and legal that the Red Army is ex inside that frontier and superiority. The Belgian fortress position of the King when he, the last among them, shall be free to tremely stubborn in its vastly bigger than was of Eben Emael in front of Maes- return home? Will the Germans opposition, not only that considered necessary on tricht-was considered as one of be sufficiently well disposed it is equipped with a number of armour.n vast June 22 must be a stag- the most formidable, The attack towards him as to give him back who know them this hypothesis cars gering problem. Hitler, started at about four in the morn-freedom of speech? For those prosent and tanks that t seem, sur- in fact, finds himself ing of May 10, 1940, a Belgian is chimerical. At the

Minister telephoned to the mill time Leopold III., as far as the prisingly, to work, but fighting in a new dimen- tary headquarters. By five o'clock Belgian Constitution is concerned, also that the Germans ston. "Russia," says an in the morning the fortress had is in the position of a sovereign practically been a conquered, by unable to reign: This is what his have suddenly discovered old Russian writer, "is the parachutists. It was later learned Government and his Parliament the consequences of chal-rock on which theories are that the German Army, whose have unanimously accepted, and it troops were quite fresh, had pre- would seem that he is holding: lenging a country that cracked."

viously carried out this attack strictly to this constitutional idea,

..

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