Evening star., 1940-09-20
General Sees Victory
For England if Hitler
Delays Invasion
Seosickness and Bad
Weather Will Take Gore
Of Armada, He Says
Nv GAULT mcgowan.

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES
DEFENDING ENGLAND, Sept. 2C
CNA.N.AD.-If Hitler does not at
tempt an invasion before next
spring, England has virtually won
the war, according to Gen. Sir Ron
aid AdamS-commanding the north
area maneuvers to test the army S
readiness to resist landing parties.
Sir Ronald, who is no f1re-eater
but a sober and realistic soldier with
q blaze of medals on his chest, eX-
pressed this opinion Immediately
after receiving word of the bad
weather which was said to be keep
Ing a Nazi armada in Flanders ports
Another officer said later, when
The subject of an attack this au-
tumn or in the winter was brought
up. How would you like to cross
the Channel in this weather? Sol
diers who embarked now would have
no stomach for a fight. In fact,
they would have no fighting stom-
ech"
Many forecasts of an invasion
have left out of account the fact
that in peacetime few people choose
10 cross the English Channel en-
route to Paris. 1t is much more
comfortable to fly there. since the
source and origin Of the phrase "mal
de mer" is that ill-famed stretch OF
water which normally provides en-
plovment for more sympathetic
stewards than any other such ex-
Ianse in the world The spectacle
of a seasick blitzkrieg army would
make pictures for Punch.
PITY the Blitzkriegers.
IT is knowledge of this elementary
fact impressed on all who have
ever crossed the Channel, that has
kent Britons so confident in these
nerilous days. Those who saw Hit
ier's triumphant march across Eur
one and forecast an easy conquest
of England forgot that German
soldier, however full of bravado
on land. would be an object OF pity
on his arrival at Dover after a typ
ical Channel crossing in a small
boat
Veterans of the last war used to
sav: I'VE began the Channel cross
ing fearing that the ship would be
torpedoed, and half way over we
hoped it would be, so that our suf-
fering would end"
1t is now possible to reveal that
this summer the Channel has been
like a millpond, and a child might
have crossed it in a rowboat, as the
evacuation from Dunkerque tes-
titled.
This abnormal weather has ended
now. and that means that an in
vasion would require vessels of
sufficient size to put an expedi-
tionary force ashore in at least as
good condition as the passengers OF
the Queen Mary or the Normandie
after an Atlantic crossing.
Seasick Armada.
The arrival here of a seasick ar
mada would keep England's pow
der dry-beds in concentration
camps would be all it would be fit
for.
The troops here, after hearing that
they we're not to expect the real
thing Immediately, staged mock
war of their own, with dive bombers
and steel-helmeted brigades playing
the part of invaders.
Every advantage was accorded to
the make believe invaders in order
to give the defending troops practice
in attempting to push them back to
the sea. 1t was assumed that the
troops had sailed from Norway and
landed successfully In the night on
a lonely coast.
The battle began at dawn. With
blitzkrieg troops, suicide squads and
artillery, the supposed Nazis made
the most of their opportunities, while
the perspiring umpires rushed hither
and thither trying to keep track oi
their unorthodox military tactics.
Umpire Is Only Casualty.
Some confusion arose because all
of the soldiers were dressed in
khaki, and at one time dive-bomb-
ing airplanes attacked troops OF
IIl6lI OWIl Sluc anu al
inoffensive convoy of war CORE
spondents. Only one slight actual
casualty has been reported, which
resulted when an umpire, motor
cycling to a crucial spot, fell into a
BOBBY trap designed to catch enemy
tanks.
All seemed to be going we'll with
the invaders when defenders, in
stead of staging a successful retreat
as hitherto, turned the tables with a
counter -blitzkrieg which folded the
invaders flank and cut them of
from their boats. These diamond
cut-diamond tactics caused a short
age of umpires and required lull
while new ones were summoned.
In this interval it was possible to
reflect that, proflting from the les
sons of the spring battle in Flanders
the reborn British Army stands
ready today to tackle invasion in
whatever form it comes.