The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-01

~blitzkrieg against the western allies.
If this lighting war fails to come
from the Nazis there are signs that
the allies themselves may take the
offensive.
The influential Paris newspaper LIE
Temps, for example, has urged a
campaign against Russia to prevent
Germany from exploiting Soviet re-
sources. France and Britain have
been masslng a tremendous reser-
volr of manpoWer in the near east.
The Russian-Finnish ~undeclared
war has come to be regarded by the
British and French as the northern
front of their general campaign.
They have sent volunteer manpower
an dmaterials to Finland.
The Balkans have been a third
key point with the allies backing Ru-
mania to keep her oil and wheat
fields from Germany.
With all these pre-occupations the
atmosphere is less feverish now than
1t was that sunny Sunday of Sep.
TENDER 3, 1889, when Britain and
France declared war on Germany
two days after the Nazis invaded Po-
land-without a formal declaration
ii war.
On that day France modified S..
100000 men, a fourth of all in her
business and industry
BlackOuts
That night French cities we're
Dlacked out and their children
started moving into the provinces
away from the danger Of air raids.
The next day the French general
staff's first var communique an
nounced military operations had be-
gun. Since then most of them have
tersely: Nothing to report"
For the first month the French
attacked sparingly, occupying about
$50 square miles of German terri
tory. Early in October, with Poland
and the German forces re-
leased in great numbers for serv-
ice on the western front, the French
on the defensive.
On Oct. 16 the Germans pushed
the French back to the border.
Since then, stalemate with only
patrol activity and air scouting de-
spite alarms in November and Jan
uary over reports of German in
tentions regarding Belgium and
the Netherlands.
The British expeditionary force.
meanwhile, brought more than 2OO.-
600 troops to France and installed
its own air force.
Even more important militarily.
the French reinforced the Maginot
line with construction. work that
would have sufficed for 100 new
cities freeing man power for pos
slble use elsewhere.
Developments Far Afield
Actually, the most striking devel-
opments took place not where they
nigh have been expected, but far
scuttling of the Nazi
pocket battleship Admiral Graf
Spec off Montevideo, for instance.
Economically the strain was un-
deniable, with France spending L.
0 100000 francs &22, 0C0, 00O) a
day, more than thrice her normal
expenses. At the close of the first
six months of this war of contra
lictions the cabinet is concentrate.
ing almost entirely on economic
measures. l.
France and Britain have estab.
ished complete economic union.
pooling their resources and coordi-
lftlng their purchases.
The Allied supreme hos
five times, the last session Feb
reviewing all possibilities of ac. !
ion both offensive and defensive :
Politically Premier Edouard Da.
adler's position appears strong =
The communist party which once
lad II members in parliament has 8
'een outlawed. :
automatically Germany's oriei. =
al peace offensive" in October !
voked British-French declaration :,
nat they would fight until thew =
nta1ned definite guarantees, of y
astlng peace.
indicated in one ,ddrass y