The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-12
SURPRISE LACKING

TT is not possible to analyze H1rIER's mental
1 processes, but it seems likely 'na'
he decided upon his thrust into the low coun'
tries when former Premier CHAMBERLAIN o.
Great Britain received a vote OF commence III
the House of Commons.
He had obviously been preparing 1or lnVa-
sion of Holland and Belgium Tor montns anu
was waiting only for what he could DeleVe
Tho nsvcho1oo;ca1 moment. When CHAMBERLAIN
whom he disposed and whose power ne MIN
imized-have sent him home from Munich de-
feated-was supported in the house he must
have thought the British would continue their
Numbering and be no more efficient against this
new invasion than they had been in Norway.
He had proved that he could do what he want
ed there with CHAMBERLAIN in m at
London. Why not catch the Allies mapping
again. and secure air and coastal ports from
which to attack England at short range?
Striking with customary Nazi speed, he de
pended on surprise for instant success. The
invasion was carried out on the plan he used
in Scandinavia-troops by plane to seize air.
ports. followed by mechanical forces to strike
terror into the hearts of the people, defeat
home forces, and be in possession of every mill
tary point strategically situated before the
French and British and the armies of the two
powers under attack could organize a counter
thrust. 1t worked in Norway, and with CHAM
BERLA1N as premier he must have concluded it
could be made to work as easily in the low
countries. =
But neither the Allied powers or the Dutch
or the B~elgians were surprised. Nor were they
cowed. The Dutch and the Belgians were ready,
and gave them such a reception that the in
vasion had met a definite check within twelve
hours in both countries. The attempt to take
over ~airports was a fuke, with one exception.
Attacks were either repulsed or the airports
minus planes when he arrived. The parachut-
ers were beaten down, in one case, as fast as
they landed by Dutch women armed with roll
ing pins and fiat irons. In othr cases they were
shot or captured. On the Belgian frontier the
troops of King LEOPOLD, under his personal
command, stood off Nazi land forces-stopped
them cold.
WINSTON CHURCHILL, the pugnacious new
premier, arch H1TLER-hater, cut the red tape
which had handicapped the British war forces
under CHAMBERLAIN, and told the commanders
to Ego to it," or words to that effect, with
result that both French and English soldiers,
fiers and warcraft are pouring into the new
battle area in numbers sufficient to convince
the most skeptical that this is not to be an
other Scandinavian fiasco, but a fight to a
finish.
ion of the campaign or the cost it will entail
at this early date. But it appears possible that
with a way opened through the low countries
the Allies will not be content eventually to
drive the Nazis out of Belgium and the Meth
erlands, the immediate objective, but will carry
the war into Germany itself by a thanking
movement around the Sigfried line.
It would be bootless to say that this time,
for sure, HITLER had missed the bus, as Mr..
CHAMBERLAIN said when he went into Scan
dinavia. But with the failure of his coveted
surprise, and with greatest army in the world,
the army of France, supplemented by a grow
ing British force, now in position to carry the
attack in the open, it seems reasonable to
think that something will happen to stem the
tide of Nazism. This is justified, not only by
the aggressive policy of the new British gov
eminent but by the heavy inroads on the Nazi
airforce, upon which HITLER places his main
dependence.