Evening star., 1940-07-28
The Fiqhtinq Fronts

me TI9nIIn9 TTOntS
For Adolf Hitler, politics and eco
homics are scarcely distinguishable. In
Der Fuehrer's military transmission, war
and economics also mesh Since the way
to fight fire is with fire, the German
enemy likewise meshes economics and
warfare. In the battle of economics a
bomb dropped on a food depot has
greater value than bomb dropped on
man, whose slow collapse to hunger
will have a more malignant effect on
his country's cause than his quick death
from powder and steel. A bomb dropped
on a gasoline base may keep many tanks
and alrplanes out of commission. Fuel
less, these machines of death cannot
move a foot A bomb dropped on
wharf makes more difficult a country's
intercourse by ship with the world be-
yond it.
For newspaper reader-or writer
this economic war is the pinnacle of
dullnesS But its signifi-
Seeks to Cut canoe is enormous. On
STRENGTH the one hand. the Ger
mans, with their Italian
allies and their Spanish informal asso-
ciates seek to weaken their enemy, Eng
land. so that invasion will find her
almost helpless. On the other hand, the
English, with their dominion Coop
orators and friendly Egypt, try to cut
down the resources of their principal
foe. Germany, so that the invader will
be fragile enemy when reaching the
I'll - L.
sion-will be coup de grace, or an
attempted coup de grace.
A part of this economic warfare is the
neural warfare. Falling bombs send
people in the neighborhood to shelter
King George VI himself sought such
shelter last week. The less hardy citi-
zens may suffer nervous disability as a
result of the endless visits from the
bomb-dropping warriors of the clouds.
Both neural and economic warfare are
the softening-up precursors of military
warfare.
The warfare of last week, like the
warfare of almost every week, was intro
cuced by speech. It's maker was Vis-
count Halifax. the British Foreign
the Reichstag address made by Hitler
in the previous week, suggesting peace
for England, urging the English people
to throw aside the leadership of Prime
Minister Churchill and his followers
Lord Halifax rose to the rhetorical
summit of his career, which has never
been noted for force in diction. On Mon
day, however, he was vehement as we'll
as eloquent. To peace, his reply was
fatty no" 1--WE shall go forward" said
Churchill's Foreign Minister seeing
clearly both the splendor and the perils
of the task, but strengthened by the
faith, through which, by Gods help, as
we try to do His service, we shall pre-
vail" The German reply was simple:
"The dice are cast"
The portent of this reply was military
action. But the struggle of the armies
did not come. On the
Air Roids day Halifax spoke the
Are RepIy German high command
reported its latest air
raids on England had caused destructive
fires and explosions at airdromes. sea-
ports and oil storage tanks, while an
attack on a convoy in the Channel sank
a tanker and four merchantmen. The
communique put British aircraft losses
for the day at eight, including a large
Sunderland flying boat brought down
off German-occupied Trondheim, Nor
way -Four German planes failed to
return.
y This was economic warfare. How did
1t go for Britain? On Tuesday, as a
typical day, the British planes went after
these objectives:
The airplane factories at Gotha. Kas-
sci and Wenzendorf where bombs
dropped on planes in the making and
plane dies for future lanes-to-be-made
mean more than successful hit on
single plane equipped and in the air.
The oil depots of Hamburg, Gelsen-
kirchen and Flushing, providing fuel for
the planes of Germany and for the tanks
that will be landed on English soil if
Germany ever tries her invasion.
Twelve airdromes, containing ground
ed planes ready for action.
Railways, over which travel supplies
Tor troops massed IN France for lnva-
sion. and rail freight yards.
Patrol boats in Dunkerque Harbor
France, useful as eyes in the war on
the sea-
Docks at Amsterdam. the Netherlands,
from where the Germans can send forth
ships to take part in the naval warfare,
which, in its large sense, is economic
warfare. The British Navy keeps open
lanes OF trade to island England and
keeps oft hopes-enemy ships. The
German Navy and the Italian Navy try
to close the trade lanes and make pos
sible the transportation of armies to the
island.
The cloud battle of the week was
fought over the Thames Estuary. where
the neandering British river empties into
the North Sea. More than 60 German and