1940-05-18 — Page 24

PAGE 6.—HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

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EDITORIAL

THE

Saturday: MAY 18, 1940.

By the Rt. Hon. VISCOUNT HALIFAX

LIBERTY THE ISSUE

Tel. 27778/9

LORD HALIFAX

THE Witzkrieg was a week old yesterday. What have the Germanis accomplished in that week. They have another three enemies. The. vasi overseas resources and merchant marine of one-Holland is now at the disposal of the Ailits. Every neotrai neighbour knows that the fate of the Scandinavian and Lowland countries may be theirs, Hiler's circio of sympathisers grows less,

FOW can Holland aid the Allies now abe has been overrun? Study these

OW can

Ogures: The Dutch East and West Indies are two of the world's richest colonies. They have a total area of 790.000 square miles, rich in all, minerals, food, and with a population of 81,000,000 (seven times the popu lation of the Motherland). Holland's navy, still intact, has three cruisers, A destroyers, 19 submarines.

UNTIL Friday East week, few of Hitler's neighbours worried about Firth Columnists." Every German in every country in the world is now viewed

wed with suspicion. The reaction to the Invasions of Helland and Belgium has

been Instantaneous; frontiers have been manned, Internal precautions have been adopted, suspicious "tourists" have been expelled. There is now no such thing as a "peaceful neutral."

BUSSOLINI may enter the

But what of it? war.

When we went to

M

war with Germany in September did we expect to fighi Germany alone? It was a "foregone conclusion" then that Italy would be a beliigor- cat and there was more surprise at Mussolini's policy of "non-belligerency" than there was at, say, the conclusion of the Russo-German Pact. Mussolini has sat on the fence for at least right and a half months.

→ELGIUM is by no means conquered. In the last war she was overrun In four weeks and in five weeks the Germans were knocking at the gateway of Paris. The Kaiser was ready for the triumphant entry. The Great Retreat from Mons had eaten Into the soul or the gallant Old Contemptibles, who contested every inch of the way across Flanders' bloody fields until the new B.EF. could come to their aid.

INCE Friday last week, Hitler has thrown every ounces of his power into

LTD. SINCE He has sought a Blitzkrieg victory and in eight

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days all he has gained has been the strip of territory cast of the River. Meuse and a salient-into-France-at-Sedan. His generals 25 years ago did much better than that willout an airforce er mechanised units. Don't for get that the initial advantage in every battle goes to the inflater. But so do the initial losses. For every six soldiers England, France and Belgium -have-thrown into the fray, Germany has thrown ten. This initial strength is possible because, defensive forces cannot know where the blow is going to come and their troops must be scattered over a wider from than the aggressor. Bot the Allied losses in man-power are proportionately less than the German losses, for the reason that the Army taking the offensive always pays more dearly. This was proved in the last war when the aggressor in the big Balles lost an average of twice as many men as the Ipsers.

`U

NLESS-Hiller-can-rala, a quick_victory in France his Blitzkrieg hasi falled. To win the war he must avold positional fighting. He can only keep going as long as there is enough space for his mechanised units to operate. Once the stalemate of trench warfare comes-39 come it must when the present Nazi drive ends-ller is doomed. The invasion of Belgium and Holland was the act of desperate mana man who cannot afford any longer to

to fight the war on the economie front. PROFESSOR, BANSE, the Nazi military expert who was the author of the plan which Hiller last week put into effect, warned in the extracts from the book now appearing in the "Telegraph" that a war of attrition or stalemate would be fatal for Germany. In almost uncanny fashion, Hitter has successfully carried out the strategy evolved by Banse for invasion of Poland, Norway, Denmark, and Holland, But Banse's plan failed in Belgium. It did not take into account the extent of Belgiam resistance, something that was also instrumental in the failure of the Shilen plan, upon which the invasion of Belgium and France in 1914 was bared.

Which is just another way of saying

THUMBS UP

Germany, Russia and Italy are a trinity of totalltafian states, but they are hot a trinity in unity.

There are those who are shocked when it is suggested that the sim- Communism and larity between Nazliam is so striking that they are almost indistinguishable.

Lovers of Russia are haters of Germany, while admirers of Musso Jini can see nothing in common be- and his rival Stalin, tween him except that each is the idol of his people.

in

There is no doubt that Germany, Russia and Italy have much common, but they also are bitter- rivals in many respeels. Russin and Germany are neighbours and each covets the territory which lies on its borders. The Balkans and the Baltic are where Gaman and Russian interests.clash, and it is impossible to believe that those two countries will ever really come to terms. The traditional antagonism is as great and unbridgeable as that between Franco and Germany.

*

It exposed her weakness as it revealed Russla's strength, or, at

superior Icast, her

bargaining power.

Obviously Germany resented this and could not, except temporarily, accept this proof of her inferiority. It was Russia's advance in the Baltic and her conquest over Fin- land that forced Germany advance up the other arm of the Baltic,

P

to

Now all these moves are clear and strategic, but the moral price that Germany has paid for her advance up the Baltic is one that cun never be recovered.

The United States which can be regarded as a detached onlooker, comprising within herself as she does all the representative nations of Europe. has not hidden her opinion of this last act of violence. Germany's betrayal of the Baltic States stands out in her eyes in marked contrast with the refusal of the Allies to be a party to such a plan with Russia.

*

GERMANY'S Invasion of Den-

WE are under. no llusion about the war.

We know how great are the Issues the liberty and indepen- dence of our own country and Commonwealth, and of all European States.

mocracy

10

making wor.

Neither do we underrate the strength of our enemy or the sternness of the struggle upon We which we are engaged. realize that to secure victory in that struggle will require all the energy and all the re- solution that we can com- mmand.

There in a profound difference be tween 'a dictatorship and de

this business of The dictator en- Joya great initiat advantages. and his policy His preparations can

be made in complete secrecy. But the people have no part in that policy. They do not know what it is. They enannt misce themselves in apposition to it, and therefore the actions of a à dictator

ator appear the outside world as the expression of a single will. In a democracy there is no surrender of private Judgment. There is no suppress- ton of outside contacts, and there is no sinister coerelon by a sccret police, and undoubtedly that in- creases the difficulty of any Govern-

to

ment in the time of preparation and planning. But when trouble comes the fact that the people know and the people have approved In- vests the decision reached with the overwhelming force of free judg- ment and united will.

It la just that unity of marat pur- pose which Herr Hitler rates so low which will be, if I mistake not, the principal cause of his defeat. The strain of modern war is very great, and there is no doubt in my mind, and I think there will be nono in yours, that it will be borne more easily by the man who is in it from conviction than by the man who is in it by coercion.

There is no need to recall in more than a sentence the history of the last years, during which Europe has watched and walled and wait through wondered, much ns we the sultry, heavy days of summer for the breakding of the storm. I become Foreign Secretary at the end of February, 1938, and within ofertnight of my going to

that

ofled the German Army in into Austris. Two monilis May, there was the crisis over the to alleged preparations of Germany attock Czecho-Slovalcio, and, whatever may be the exact truth of those days, the immediate anxiety aroused was the measure of the extent to which oven then the Ger- man Government had succeeded in

GRIN AND BEAR IT

28

By Lichty

Licke

-“Something-wonderful. happened to-day, dear!-i baked my first ple and it was stolen right off tho window "* Wockly Commentary By "The Scrutineer"

DISUNITED TRINITY

the Insignificant, peaceful state, by a costly war, and to find the threat Increased tenfold frum Copenhagen under German rule is not what Rusala wanted.

or its skill. The battle in the River Plate certainly proves the contrary. Italy is definitely inferior to the Allies in both categories. But it will be said Italy has an air force and it is because Mussolini is con- vinced that the air arm is to play a decisive role in this war, that he feels inclined to take the plunge. not likely to find the Allied forces deilcient in this respect, for

the Empire air scheme is the pro- cess of turning out pilots and machines at a far greater pace and of a higher quality than Mussolini can hope to

to equal.

Germany, however, thought the war in Finland showed that the Russion Giant had feet of clay and could from a military point of

He is treated with the, same viaw be contempt or indifference as in 1014. Germany then hopes that Russia will full the duty allotted to her of supplying all and such things, but she does not want her military assistance, as it might embarrass her. If Russia can be cajoled now Into being a docile economic part- ner, then Italy might be courted because she haa

a fleet and on air arn, 19 ncorer to the Allles, can inflict much damage on them in the Mediterranean,

and is likely to prove an asset rather than a liability.

IF Mussolini falls into that trap, he will prove to be the most foolish of the dictators. His suc cess up till now like that of the others has been gained by threats and by victories over weak and helpless opponents, in Abyssinin and Albania.

Mussolini has done very well out of the axis, but hero is every reason why he should remain satis- fed with his achievements rather ihsan Jeopardise them by engaging

sur

Unlike Germany, Italy has oversca Empire, in which she has great pride. It consists of Libya,

Somaliland and Ethiopia,

the Dodecanese islands in the Aegeon. It is not possible to believe that she can retain these in face of the Allied naval forces overwhelming

IT is not so much the ideological differences that separate these mark, Norway Holland and Bel-in-war with the Allies.

glum still further emphatices the peoples, it is something more cle-

depths to which German methods demand for leben. mental-the

that it impossible have sunk ardum,

to And in wants the Ukraine,

in any neutral country a Germany

reputable.

apologist for Hitler and where wheat grows so abundantly,

his government and she also wants control over Rumania, where alt flows so freely. but in addition to these ambitions, Germany wishes to control the Baltic In which Russia has once more reasserted her power to the:. detriment of Germany,

The enforced withdrawal of the. old wealthy German familles from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia was a very severe blow to German prestige,

The Germans seem to have succeeded in forfeiting the respect of every neutral state except Italy. whose position is now so difficult, that, she, does not know where to turn or what to do.

Gradually Germany is retreating from Russla, just as Russia is naturally growing more suspicious

Germany. To of.

remove the menace to Leningrad from Finland.

Army

In the Mediterranean which sup-

ports the very considerable from Australia and other parts in Palestine and Egypt, Modern naval balties dépend to certain extent on the spirit of the forces and not only, an" the weight of annament, hut no one has ever suggested that the British Navy has lost its daring

f

The great weakness, however, of Mussolini lies in his following. The Italian people have been whipped up into militant ecstasy during the past fifteen years. Abyssinia and Spain gave

ave scope for the outlet of 'that enthusiasrn. The former was

and a war of conquest, pure slin- ple, while the latter was, in the.

of eyes Italy, a sort of religious war against Communism.

In both cases the Church was able to bless the soldiers and the colours and send them off in good heart. Can the Church do the same in this present case?

*

ITALY has a strong historical sense which Mussolini has stimu lated by his continual references to the Roman Empire." In that history Italy has litle, or no Ger- man affiliatioris, but many with Great Britain. It will not be a united-Italy that will cleave to the former and become the enemy in war of the latter. It was because

half-hearted there was a

mood among the Italian people in the Inst war that defents and retreats were conspicuous from time time. It is not likely that the heart of Italy will be in this war, for is not threatened by the

Allier

to

If she joins in on the side of Germany, then one important route to Germany will be shut off, her colonies will be lost, her ships wit become prizes of war, or will be scuttled, and as a nation she will

be crippled.

destroying the confidence of Eur

ope, and all through the summer the operation of the new fomillar technique was going on by way of preparation for the real offensive which culminated in the crisis of September, 1030,

The Munich settlement gave Ger- many all that she immediately wanted. In applying that Agree- ment I think It is true to say that every contentious point was decid- ed in Germany's favour, and yet it became clear at once that Herr Hitler was profoundly dissatisfied. In private he inveighed against the

or Agreement and against those his

on the advisers who had stood on side of peace. In public ho began with- in a few days to attack this coun try In speeches, and German news- papers that were closest to the Ministry of Propaganda In Ger- many launched a violent Press campaign against this country: It becane rapidly evident that Herr Hitler, in fact, objected to the way of procedure by settlement through negotiation and that, if we are to judge by all the evidence, he ac- tually resented having been balked a war over Czecha-Slavaids. During several stages of the dis- cussions which preceded Munich,

quite Herr Hitler made it

to

of

ድነው

clear

those talking part in them that he was anticipating with relish the opportunity of

Cecchio. chastising Slovakia, and I have no doubt that he was also disillusioned because he hoped that afler Munich wę should be lulled into security and would close down on our own rearmament, moking

to attempts campele with Germany, with the consequence that Germany would have been left in possession of what Hitler himself has called the mightiest arimaments that the world has ever known, without a com- petitor, and in that position he could have made himself the dieta- tor, not only of Germany, but of Európe.

But there was some reason to hope that, having vented his an- noyance, he would nevertheless abide by the settlement which he had signed; but wo all know, of course, what happened. Within six months

ths of the signature of

Dat

Agreement, in spite of many solemn promises, he annexed the remainder of that unhappy State, and it was the forceful incorporation of mill- ions of men and women of another race that showed the world as in a flash that there was no question of German rights, but something that was the symptom of his.real purpose-German domination-that struck at something very deep In the hearts and minds of the British people the world over.

It is certainly true___that_that Instinct of our people has always, throughout their history, driven them to resist attempts by any one nation to make itself master of Europe. They have always keen in any such attempts a threat both to their own existence and to the general course of Liberty in Europe, and I have no doubt at all that the history of the nineteenth century proves then to have been right.

__Just____look___back, During that thanks to the command of the the power of Great Britain' was unchallenged, and it was no coln- eldence that that century-the nine- teenth-saw a great development of liberty throughout the world. There is, I think, no more striking instance to be found of the different usea to which great strength can be put than that provided by this country and by Germany. Na small nation has ever regarded our sea power as a menace to its orderly and legitimate development.

+

BCD,

Not so with Germany, for no sooner had the land and alr forces of Germany regained their strength after the last War than a kind of trembling began to run through the smaller States of Europe, and all Germany's neighbours felt not only their liberty but possibly their very existence threatened by it, and, therefore, I I say without hesitation that if the British people have been right, as they had before, in resist Ing domination by any ono Power Europe, they are doubly so right to-day-

in

The occasions of war are not, of

course, always their fundamental cause. It is true that the case of aggression on Foland was covered by our formal commitments to Po- land, but it was not Poland in it- self, but the whole picture of Ger- mon policy, as by then it had been revealed, that first of all caused that commitment to be honoured with: practical unanimity in this country when the time came.

It has been suggested that we might perhaps have stood aside and, have allowed Germany to do what she liked in the East and Southy. East of Europe, and that we might.. have reached an understanding - with Herr Hitler by which Ger- many would not challenge British or French vital interests." We have always been willing to recognize the special interests that Germany had in those parts of Europe which, for geographical or economic rea sons, occupied for her special im- portance and in. which therefore. she was entitled to plan ruch special interest.

But once it became clear that the purpose of German policy was do- mination by absorption of non- German people, then it was, to my mind, overwhelmingly plairs' that. we were once again faced by the identical challenge to bistory no amount of Herr Hiller's assurance..

could disguise.