Evening star., 1939-09-22

is being fought In German territory 4
On this, the 18th day since war was
declared by Great Britain and
France, the situation is set and
forces are assembled for what prom
ises to be a terrific clash between
the most powerful armies ever seen.
1t may last a few months or then
years. But its preparations are SO
awesome that the mind simply does
not measure them.
Here is Armageddon in its most
modern terms. To date the fighting
has hardly gone beyond skirmishes.
The Germans have been systemat-
ically pushed back from the out
works, machine-gun nests and tank
traps toward what might be called
the spinal column of the Siegfried
Line.
This has cost some casualties on
both sides. But the fighting to
date gives no real indication or
measure of that clash that must
soon occur unless Chancellor Hit
Ter recoils and asks for peace
something few in Paris and none
along the lines expect.
Here for the first time the Nazi
Germans are meeting an opponent
of their own quality-something
their regime wished to avoid. When
the Nazis threatened the Czechs
and crushed the Spanish Repub-
icans they counted on the certainty
lsof superior resources, equipment,
tradition and staff work. In this
war they are utterly inferior on
sea and what superiority they pos
sess in the air is likely to be only
temporary.
AS for any claim to superiority on
land, none who has had the op-
portunity Of witnessing the French
military machine-already reinforced
by the BritiSh-will concede it with
out demonstration. The French
military machine as it unrolls to
any one travelling from Paris to
the German frontier seems invin-
chile.
Men are everywhere and their
number is legion. Here is the man.
hood of France. From 20 to so years
of age, they are young and old, and
seemingly are more mingled than
in the first World War. In ad-
vance positions one meets veterans
from Verdun alongside boys, their
whiskers still not fully grown.
Modern armies no longer concen-
trate troops in vast masses or burst
ing depots.
1918 Equipment Surpassed.
The development of aviation has
ended that. Modern concentration
in depth is infinitely more impress
Sive.
But only actual seeing brings the
conviction to what extent this war
Is going to be a matter of machines.
Quantities of everything which
bulked SO monstrously inhuman in
1918 already have been far sur
passed. Here IN France one sees
every sort of weapon or contrivance
that military writer's described in
advance and one or two things this
correspondent had never seen be-
fore. az
The men at the front give the
impression of richness in everything.
launching at the officers mess only
a few miles from the front lines.
one is struck by the quality and
abundance Of the food. Prisoners
fare possibly is not so sumptuous
in France, but it is reported to
have appeared nightly to those
German prisoners or deserters to
whom it has been given. Not less
striking than the evidence offered to
the keen-eyed of the terrific French
striking power is the fresh morale.
One and all, officers and soldiers are
facing the war with the earnestness
of sailors struggling against a
stormy sea.
There is no exultation and small
visible enthusiasm and little singing.
But instead, deep. grim feeling
that this, more than 1914, is Frances
real trial. Then, Germany was
naturally the enemy; it's soldiers
invaded France. France fought then
to defend French farms and forests,
French towns and cities. Today,