Evening star., 1940-01-02
The War in 1910

On millions of lips throughout the
world belligerent and neutral alike,
| the anxious question trembles, what
of the war in 1910? Nowhere lives
the statesman, the general or the
| admiral who can answer it with any,
thing family approximating GER
| tainty Never was it truer of any
great armed conflict than of this
| one-"that the one thing certain
about war is that it is sure to pro-
duce the unexpected" The thunder
bolts unleaShed so Wantonly by
Germany four months ago remain,
as to ultimate outcome, the last word
in unpredictability.
No saner speculation as to posi-
bilities or probabilities is forthcom-
ing than the epitome of the situation
by Major George Fielding Eliot,
whose periodical reviews of the
allied-German campaign appear in
The Star. Taking all factors into
consideration, though always ad-
mitting "these can be upset even to-
morrow morning by something in the
Far East, for example, or something
in Rome, or something in Moscow or
Berlin. or even in London or Paris"
Major Eliot on the whole thinks the
allies outlook is the brighter.
Hitler's diplomatic peace offensive
in the west having failed, he finds
the Reich confronted by four major
| choices of action. The Germans can
now Cd make peace on allied terms,
including the restoration of Poland,
Czecho-Slovakia and perhaps Aus
tria, a confession of defeat which
the Hitler regime could hardly expect
to survive; (2) seek fresh conquests
elsewhere in the hope Of becoming
so strong as to defy further attack
and so induce peace on Nazi terms;
90 seek a solution in Germany's
favor of the war in the west by mill
tary means; or "a play waiting
game.
AS the year opens, it appears clear
that Germany can only hope for
victory in the west at the price Of an
air effort which would leave her vul-
nerable should it fail. All other
courses open to her-frontal attack
on the Maginot Line, desperate at
tempt to challenge Britain and
France at sea-are both uncertain Of
result and highly charged with perils
of their own. Yet, to sit tight-al-
ways barring the off chance that the
Nazis can sooner or later open up
really adequate and dependable
access to Russian supplies-means,
as Major Eliot points out, slow death
for Germany under the strangula-
ton of a Tightening blockade.
Hitler's New Year messages to his
armed forces and to the Nazi party
claim that 1910 will be "a year of
decision" which will usher in "the
new Europe" that is to see National
Socialist Germany in the seat of
command now held, according to the
Fuehrer, by a domineering and war
mongering Great Britain doing the
bidding of that Jewish reactionary
international capitalism which re-
mains the obsessing fantasy of the
Nazi cult Various indications and
authoritative military utterances in
Germany suggest that, though no
time can be fixed, the present dead
lock is temporary and may be broken
at almost any moment.
| New air weapons, for crippling
British ships, ports, industrial plants
and railroads are now held to be
Hitler's likeliest new threat" These
instruments of destruction, it is
stated, are not huge explosive bombs,
difficult to carry over long distances,
but are so-called "egg bombs" small
incendiary missiles filled with ther-
mite or similar substances unextin-
guishable by either water or sand,
and of which good bombing planes
can carry a load up to 10000. The
reason the Germans have not laid
these eggs on England" heretofore is
said at Berlin to be that the air fleet
has not yet fully satisfied itself that
it possesses both the number and
quality of planes requisite for the
purpose.
The allies, it goes without saying,
|
merely threatened, that Hitler has
in preparation. Every hour he de-
lays in beating his boastful words
into deeds gives the British and
French so much more time to get
ready to meet the Nazi challenge.
It will not find them unprepared.
Another war marriage: That. Of
Miss French Franc to Mr.. Pound