Evening star., 1939-07-30

Britain and fire broadside of insults at
the Chief Executive of the United States.
These insults did nobody any particu-
lar harm. But the message had the
effect of dampening somewhat the war
like attitude Of the two dictators. Even
the addresses made in Congress later
criticiZing the Presidents Anglophile and
Francophile speeches did not actually
reassure the leaders of the axis powers.
1t is admitted openly in Germany today
that the solution of the Danzig problem
did not take place in April when it was
scheduled because of the menacing tone
of Mr. Roosevelt's message to Hitler and
Mussolini, coupled with the dramatic
dispatch of the feet from the Atlantic
to the Pacific.
The helmsmen in Berlin and in Rome
and statements made by the Congress-
men who were opposing the Presidents
foreign policies, but they were afraid that
when it came to showdown-a vote
the administration would win an easy
victory. And If such a victory could be
won on an academic question such as
that of the arms embargo they feared
that in the event of an armed encounter
the President might win another still
more important victory All these fears
have been dissipated now
See Victory in Offing.
In Berlin and in Rome there are
shouts of victory" The dictators believe
that the stage is set for another Munich,
whether Messrs Chamberlain and Dala-
dier want to admit this or not
The reason why this belief prevails in
the capitals of the axis powers is that
neither France nor Great Britain nor
their allies is anywhere near prepared to
meet the armies of the axis in the field.
The German general staff believes in a
blitzkreig lightning war;. The German
and the italian armies are being pre-
pared for such a campaign to win the
war in six months or lose it altogether.
If the democratic" powers do not
yield to the pressure from Berlin to coun-
sci the Poles to seek peaceful solution
for the outstanding problems, Germany
may attack Poland
1t is true that the II Polish divisions
which have been on war footing for the
last three months can offer a stubborn
resistance to any aggression. But in the
opinion of military experts. who give the
Poles full credit for their ability to fight
we'll, the Polish army will not be able to
resist long after the German onslaught
has begun. 1t is spread over a 700-mile
frontier and 1t does not know where the
blow may fall. The Polish general staff.
despite the excellence of its intelligence
service has no idea whether the offensive
may come from the north or from the
south.
The Germans have recently finished a
remarkable network of highways which
enables the general staff to move impor-
tant units from one place to another with
unbelievable rapidity. The same thing
cannot be said about the Polish Army,
which must still rely on the cumbersome
and easily sabotaged railway communi-
cations. While there are not II German
divisions concentrated on the Polish bor-
der. the general staff is credited with in
tending to use the same strategy it used
in the last war against Russia-hit un-
expectedly with much superior force at
a given point, break through and exploit
the victory. When Polish forces are
rushed to the broken front, settle behind
trenches and repeat the move some 100
miles away. The line of permanent for
tilcations which has been completed or
is by way of being completed along the
German-Polish border will shelter Ger
many against any surprise from the
Poles.
Blocked From Enemy.
In the meantime, at the outset Of the
war-if war should come-neither the
French nor the British will be able to
engage any important German forces
The Siegfried line, which faces the
French Maginot line. has been fully
armed for the last six months 1t can
resist any French effort according to
military experts, for at least nine months.
The British with their navy can do Moth
ing but intercept German and Italian
commerce, which. in the early stages Of
the war, will not seriously hamper the
efforts of the axis. On the Italian side
there are the Alps and the entire Italian
Army behind these natural barriers. 1t
will not be easy for the French to break
through on that front. The italian coast
is vulnerable, but any attempt of the
French and British navies to lombard
Italian ports will have only momentary
moral effect on the civilian population.
Naval authorities in this country and
abroad doubt whether the effect of
bombardment of Naples or Genoa could
compensate for the losses the navy would
sustain from submarines.
It is true that in the last six months
the French and the British aviation
forces have improved beyond expecta-
ton. They might threaten important
German and Italian cities, but such an
action is bound to bring retaliation from
the aviation forces of the axis and 1t is
questionable whether the British govern
ment will invite the reprisals.