The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-11-15
STARVATION WAR
 FOR ALL EUROPE
(Continued from Page D


 lated conquest which would provide the bases that might crush Eng land.
 No formal agreements were signed and no announcements made, but what happened was that Belgium declared herself in to the death. That automatically meant France and Britain would go in and a gen. eral, open war for which Hitler has shown no stomach.
 The Allies feel sure they could win such a war. They would face it. with full might and their tacticians think 1t would be over in far short CT time than the grim struggle of 1914-19l8
 Terrible Sacrifice of Life
 The sacrifice of life, of course, would be terrible. For that reason, the Allies prefer a war of waiting it out, believing that their superior resources and tightening blockade will crush Germany eventually.
 Hitler may have accepted the challenge, hoping that the supplies he can get from Russia, the Ball. kans, Scandinavians and miscel- laneous neutrals will keep him go- ing
 AS far as the Balkans go, Hitler may need more cash than he can lay his honds on. The British al- ready are overtly threatening to cripple his exports to neutral coun- tries and cut off yhe replenishment of his depleted foreign exchange re- sources.
 Experts in the Allied countries are frankly skeptical of the value of Russia's aid, because of the immense difficulties of transportation and production.
 Russia Has No Surplus
 Russia has no surplus of the real- ly vital metals and war supplies which Hitler needs.
 Much capital has been made of the supply of Soy Beans from the far east, across Asiatic Russia. But you can't win war or soy beans.
 What Soviet exports there are might be reduced to a mere trickle by Russias inadequate Railway system Winter freezing will soon halt any flow of Russian oil and wheat up the Danube from the Black Sea
 The Balkans remain the best bet for Nazi storehouse but the diff ficulty of gold payment remains. Barter is out because Germany has no suitable exportable surplus.
 The prospect of using blackjack on the Balkans, which Hitler seemed to have envisaged before Russia up- set the applecart by stalking out her claims in eastern Europe, grows slighter.
 Hitler May Try It
 Hitler may try it, nevertheless, by using his familiar tactics of intimi- dalton. A massing of troops along the Hungarian border would make Hungary and Rumania, not to men, ton other Balkan states, extremely apprehensive.
 But to offset such maneuver there is the strong movement among the European Balkan States for an alliance to keep out Fascists and Communists alike They have the comforting and strong support o1 Turkey and Italy.
 So, if it is going to be a war of attrition, the Allies seem to have the stronger hand. Time favors them. Their defensive and offensive position grows better daily. Their air strength may soon outmatch Hit ler's, and in general, the Fuehrer may find it harder to face gen. eral war next spring than if he had struck a month or six weeks ago.
 If there is to be a waiting war during the winter, Hitler may try to engineer some sort of Armistice conference, or outside mediation in an effort to pull himself out of it
 Barrier Is Poland
 But there remains the great bar rier of his refusal to relinquish his conquests in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria. AS long as the Allies feel they shave the upper hand, they will be in no mood to extend soft terms.
 Ensuing weeks are likely to be 2 sea and air war, which will slowly disclose how much damage Hitler can do to England with his air planes. submarines and mines.
 England is the foe. Hitler has in- sistently talked soothingiy to France and his hope of weaning the French away from Britain-score so far zero may possibly explain why he did not smash at the French lines when the war started.