1940-01-09 — Page 4

Tuesday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

January

1940

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The

Thongkong Telegraph.

Tuesday, January 9, 1940.

Wyndham St, Hongkong Telephone: 20015

Ti prefix "Special to the Telegraph" inued by the Hongkong Telegraph” to indicate news which is strictly copyright under the provisions of the Telecommuni cations Ordinance, 1934. finch zawE, SE beats the indication "UP" is received in Hongkong on the date of publication by the United Pren Associations, who serve all rights and forbid republication, either wholly or in part without previoui Arrangement,

4

War Spending

J. M. Keynes, the English economist, has been putting up a proposition for paying for the war which, at first sight, looks like a conjuror's device for enabling everyone to hand over money to the State and yet have It safely in the banks for future

use.

The position broadly, is this: when a country is at war a great part of its effort goes into light- ing and making war goods, and therefore less effort is available. for producing ordinary consump- tion goods the nation's con- sumption must be reduced. The reduction may be effected by taking away some of its carninga by taxation, so that it must

·spend less; or by raising prices, so that it does not get so much' for its money. Both methods if pressed far have their draw- backs.

So Mr. Keynes suggesta ॥ third method which would counteract the tendency for prices to rise, and would yet leave the worker with some part at least of his surplus earnings credited to him for future use, Employers would doduct a cer- tain percentage of wages and in- comes from all payments due to employees and hand it over to the State, The Treasury would then deal with the accounts. Those who were liable for in- come tax would have the amount withdrawn from their credit,

N

STRAFE BRITAIN

AGITATED ADOLF'S WINTER

PRODUCTION

The Scene Shifters: "For Gott's sake, boss, make up your mind. Which scene do we start with 1"

WHY HITLER HESITATES

O real ray of light

yet penetrates

the

fog of this strange new war.

The war strategy of the Allies is, it is true, clear enough, and on the whole thoroughly.com. mendable. It has from the directed to beginning been avoiding large wastage of life in attacks against strongly- forti- fled positions. It is the strategy, of slego warfare, not of an attempt at a knock-out blow- whether by land or air.

It is the German reaction which provides the mystery of the, war.

Here are threats piled upon threats, but so far bardly any action at all. Instead of the bliz- krieg expected, there is fusion and inactivity. In place of the waves of attacking planes which -one. of us anticipated..there

Bio which

18 spray of propnothingness

dashes self to against the rock of fact.

Why is this? What is happen-. ing inside Dermany to explain this failure of Cerman-arms, aven to attempt any decisive action?

There seem to me to be four possible explanations. Here they

are:

(1) German inactivity may be a quite deliberate and considered policy of political war,

*

As I pointed out in one of my previous weekly articles, military and political weapons are, for Herz Hitler, interchangeable--he em- ploys whichever seems most likely to achieve his purpose.

And it la possible that he stil considers that if Germany takes no decisive action, and particularly no decisive action against civilian Dopulations, Britain and France will get tired of making. a war

and the balance would be cred- Civil Defence

ited to them at 2% per cent, to be repayable after the war.

The plan reveals itself as one for compulsory lending to the State, But thoro is much to be said for the method by which the loan would be raised. Whether people like it or not, thrift must be practised during the war, and here is a way of simplifying it and using it for

Achievements 2,000,000 Shelters

Now Ready

GLASGOW,' Juni (8) (Reuter).— Civil Defence organisations formed the subject of a speech here by the man responsible for them-Sir John Anderson, the Home Secretary and Minister for Home Security.

What is called a lull may be the | the benefit of the State. It has ¦ full before the storm, he said, and a the advantage of preventing wise man sees that his home le in order before the storm breaks over it. over-consumption at a time when Civil defence i organiinilokir were there will be little or no un- by no meins excessive, considering the tasks they may have to meet employment, and reserving con- when an attack from the air comes suming power for a time when He was more concerned with whether It will be most nooded after the or not they were sufficient, ekspe

month, 2,000,000 war, when there will be danger By the end of this mor

| steel shelters 'will: havo“ þeen. "pro-

able areas

of severe, unemployment. This vided, affording prolection, la over is not to say that the danger of 11,000,000 people in the most vulner these savings being hit by, post- war inflation can be ruled out

But if a simple, moans, can be

· LONDON: Jan. <8 | (Reuter),—The

found for directing a nation's Labour Party, and Trade Union Gen- war spending on sound lines, erai Council of #Inload: have, Invited that is just what is wanted in the British Labour Movement to send Britain to-day.

pemproptesenistive to Finland to study!

the alfustion there, ja

by Francis Williams

by

which has no battles and will, in the end, allow it to die of its own inertia, leaving Gormany still in possession of Czecho-Slovakia and her part of Poland..

Hitler may have studied the his- tory of Banctions against Italy and remember that after a period of not very whole-hearted action, there came a time when Mr. Noville Chamberlain announced that Banctions had become mid- summer madness. They were ended and Italy remained with her Abys sinia prize.

He may think-wrongly, I con- sider that if he bides his time and doce nothing very much, history will repeat itself, and that Mr Chamberlain will make another speech and that another - net of aggression will have been allowed to succeed, “

(2) The absence of a German attack may be due to inability to attack effectively against strong defences.

The Air Force which has hung as a threat over Europe for 50 many years, may have been largely bluff and may not, in fact, be com- petent to undertake engagements which will involve it in a clash with first-rate opponents.

And the Army. may be in sumclently equipped, have too proportion of fully trained men, and be unable to rely upon au efficient enough transport system to make it possible for it to risk any large engagement.

· small A

(3) There may be dissensions so acute within Germany that the regime dare not risk a major war operation.

that it shall provide the cover for a major internal revolt-elther with- in the Nazi Party itself or on the initiative of a monarchist-Army - Kroup, or possibly--although at the present stage this acems not very probable-within the mass of be- wildered ordinary people,

(4) Indecision may be due to

brainstorm''on. the part of › Hitler himself.

The feeling that he is being thwarted by Britain and France may, for the time being, have upɛct the balance of a mind never very stable.

WESTERN FROM BUTZKRIEG/

the war wers called on without- further ado. There is other ovi- dence of tho samo kind..

Yot such an explanation does not square either with the bursts of hate propaganda, or with what seams at one time to have been very near to a decision to attack Holland.

In favour of the second explana tion is the definito failure of the German air attacká on Scotland, the very high percentage of casualties and the accumulating evidence that the German Fighters are inferior to both the British and French,

Yet it is difoult to believe that the leaders of a great military machine like the German would admit inferiority simply on auch evidence and without the test of a really large scale action.

As to the dissension within Ger- many, there was evidence of that before the. Munich. bomb showed

Opposition to his will has always driven Hiller into a frenzy. If to this

li added the effect of the Munich bomb plot, it may be that the Fuchrer is in, no condition to come to any decisions himself and that none of his entourage has the courge to make decisions for him other than the makeshift decl-the pitch to which hatred of Hitler

has risen

at any rate, among some, sion to fill in the gap with loud

of those near to him. threats.

And finally we have plenty of evidence over a long period of the unstable nature of the German Leader of the e passions into which opposition to his will throws him and of

of how queerly balanced in are periods of Indecision and

Which of these possible explana tions of German Inactivity is the most likely to be correct? It 19 very dimcult to say.

There is some evidence to sup- port each of them.

In Aupport of the first is the fact that the one constant theme of German radio

him

of sudden political flair and de- cision.

Reports of contemplated at- tack, first in this direction and. then in that, the mixture of con- propaganda inciliation and hate in propaganda, English has been-apart from dis- all suggest that he is in one of ́iko for Mr. Churchil that this these moods of indecision now.

If so we must not expect that an absurd war. Again and again comes the attempt to persuade the

indecision

to last indefinitely. Nor, if we are people of Britain that none of their

will we'under-! wise, renī interests is affected, and that

estimate the power, and energy of, Herr Hitler when he his mind.

It may not. dare risk it for fear. It would be better for everybody if

| GRIN AND BEAR IT

By Lichty

he does make up

Here then are four poss

Possible ex planations of the mystery of Ger

aby's inactivity. My own feeling.. is that it is something of all four which holds Germany back.

Hitler, I think, has not yet quite made up his mind that the bra of victories without war is ovar; në has been shakon in his hopes of a

lightning - war Thyschis Kenerals on tho comparative

reports

N

strength of the German forces and still... móra shaken by the, knowledge of:plots againattihim. En corisequence: he' is at the moment in a mood of hysteria which make

makos' decision-impossibles.

No doubt that mood will pais... But Whilst lasin men gutin.-Every... day increases pur output of mYING every day improves further our already stron. Air Force Inde

And within Germany ́cision at the top must be having Karashlar, effeck, upon the metale of the mass

We must

that fall into the danger

of over-confidence, nor delude our selves that Naziam will be defeated

without

"ELEWO THAY, at any rate, gratulats “ourives, that){r early days domobracy has

Duro

unable to