Evening star., 1940-09-01

With the Low Countries conquered,
Hitler launched his swift campaign
against France, following the trampled
path of invasion down through the north
His "lroa-ring" tactics of dividing and
conquering brought the downfall Of
France after a month and IL days of
fighting, and the British withdrew to
fight it out alone from their tight little
isles"
Battle in Western Hemisphere.
The American republics, in an effort
to insulate themselves from the war, set
up a neutrality safety zone" around
their shores in the Panama declaration
of October /, 1899.
Nevertheless, the war came close to
home with frequent attacks by European
nations on each others shipping by rival
sea raiders and the South Atlantic sea
battle between British cruisers and the
pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spec,
disabled and subsequently scuttled in
Montevideo Harbor last December II.
In further move to protect them
selves from the threat of the European
war, the 81 nations of the Western World
meeting at Havana October 2 agreed
upon a declaration of continental soli-
darity and served notice that transfer
of any European-held territories in the
Western Hemisphere to another power
would not be tolerated.
While Hitler was going about his task
of 'righting the wrongs of Versailles"
Soviet Russia, his new-found partner
in non-aggression act signed August
"a, 1899, did some territory acquiring of
her own.
Russia sent her Red Army into Poland
IT days after the September German
invasion and in the split-up of Polish
territory got the Western Ukraine and
White Russia.
Finland Next Victim.
With Hitler freed by his pact with
Moscow to wage war in the west, the
Russians next invaded Finland, acquir-
ing the Karelian Isthmus and the Hanko
naval base on the Baltic in a dictated
II days of war with plucky little Fin
land.
Only little sabre rafting in Moscow
was necessary after that to get back
I Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which
like Finland, formerly belonged to Rus
sia. The three Baltic states bowed to
Moscow's demands in August and were
incorporated as republics of the Soviet
Union.
Russia also seized Bessarabia and
Northern Bucovina from Rumania,
which held an allied territorial guaran-
tee and had leanings in that direction
until Hitler's conquests changed King
Carols mind.
Carol, always realist, saw the way
the wind was blowing and Immediately
Nazified his government to fit the Ger
man pattern. He reluctantly capitu-
lated to German demands to settle terri
torial claims on Rumania by Hungary
and Bulgaria. About half of Transyl-
vania was ceded to Hungary during the
past week.
Turkey, another holder of an Allied
guarantee in Southeast Europe, quickly
turned to Moscow for instructions after
the fall of France.
Whatever the outcome of the European
struggle, Britain's Prime Minister
Churchill repeatedly proclaimed the
empires determination to a finished
fight.
The British have announced plans to
take the offensive in "1940 or 1941," and
the Germans reputedly are accepting
orders from South American customers
for october delivery.
Since the British blockade has shut
the Germans off from their South Amer
ican markets since the wars start, this
would indicate a Nazi belief the conflict
will be over before another winter sets
in.
The British offer different view.