The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-08-25

Britain and France have two big assets-the greatest navy in the world, and the best trained army in the world. But the problem is how to use them.
 The French army, for instance, is up against a tough proposi- ton if it tries to help Poland. The logical move would be to attack Germany, thus shift Ger many's drive from Poland to de- fence of the Fatherland.
 But the French army is sty- mied by the famous German Sieg- fried Line, built facing Frances Maginot Line. The Siegfried Line is cheaper than the Maginot Line, consisting of concrete pill boxes spread at regular intervals. These are so small that it is almost im- possible for artillery to hit them, but they house machine-gun nests capable of moving down the French army.
 Between the pill-boxes are buried electric mines, which can be exploded under advancing French troops at the touch of a button.
 FRANCE VS ITALY
 Another natural move for the French would be to drive into Northern Italy. However, France now has to keep 10 per cent of her army along the Spanish bor- der (thanks to-Franco appeasee- ment), and this leaves only 25 per cent of the French army to operate against Italy.
 Furthermore, the northern Alps now are better fortified, and a new Siegfried Line has been erect ed in Italy under German super vision. Even if the French should break through, Hitler has taken the precaution of placing his own divisions behind Italian troops so as to avoid too much risk on Italian resistance.
 In addition, France will have tough time defending her own bor- ders in North Africa, where Italian troops already are con- centrated against Tunis.
 BRITISH FLEET
 Secret strategy of the British fleet is to sail thruogh the straits of Denmark and Sweden into the Baltic, where it could come to the aid of Poland by attacking the north coast of Prussia.
 This would be easier than dur ing the World War, because the German fleet today is far smaller. Even SO, such voyage might lead to the bottling up or even destruction of the entihre British North Sea fleet, a risk which few cabinets would care to take. GERMAN MATERIALS
 Biggest changes in the position of Germany today as compared with 1914 are:
 1. Hitler need not worry about Russia. This is all-im- portant. For although the Rus- sian army fought almost with its bare fists in 1914, it will be recalled that Paris was saved in the battle of the Marne chiefly because the Germans were forced to shift part of their army from west to east to com
 bat Russia.
 2. Germany now has far more raw materials than during the World War. This is what Hitler has been working toward for the past year.
 His generals told him that de- spite the efficiency of his army he could win no war without raw materials. But Hitler now has available the vast granary of Hungary, the oil fields of Ru- mania, the munitions plants Of Austria and Czechoslovakia, and the copper of Jugoslovia.
 Chief products which Hitler still needs are cotton and rubber of which enough war stocks are reported to be on hand to last IS months. Germany also has available if she needs it, the $l3.O00,000 worth of U. s. cotton which the State Department re- gently loaned to Hitler's satellite General Franco of Spain. hand. if they permit him to coo q