Evening star., 1940-03-17

Amsterdam especially to lDOtd
censorship difficulties and to get
this article to America. 1t repre-
sents ,Dhat he has Observed in
Europe, and especially in Fin
land, since the outset OF the Wdr.
BY WILLIAM L. WHITE.
AMSTERDAM.-The peace be-
ntween Finland and Russia means
that Germany is getting ready for
sher spring offensive. The Nazis
know the smashing power of this
offensive would have been crippled
If the Finnish war had been allowed
to drag on. Germany hopes, this
spring and summer, to get large sup
, plies from Russia. But this was i'm
; possible with Russia involved in
sTinland.
A neutral observer from Moscow
reports that the Finnish efforts al
ready have badly disorganized the
Russian system Of transport and
production. There are queues and
shortages even in the Russian cap
b ital and the situation in Leningrad
: Is worse.
Red Victory German Defeat.
Germany knows, of course, that
, Russia, without either foreign inter-
!; ference or help, could probably have
broken Finnish resistance and oc-
cupied the country by midsummer.
But the effort of doing this would
have strained her seriously and left
her in no position to spare or to de-
liver supplies to Germany. This is
the principal reason why the Nazis
wanted peace in Finland.
But a complete Russian victory
would have been a defeat for Ger
many. Such a victory would not
, only have left Russia badly strained
and unable to help Germany this
spring and summer; it also would
have put Russian armies on the
border of what is now the frontier
between Sweden and Finland within
easy striking distance OF those rich
Swedish iron mines which are vital
to Germany as the source OF her
best steel and in equally close reach
of the coveted Norwegian port OF
Narvik. Controlling both of these,
Russia would be established as an
Atlantic power, with Germany's
steel supply at her mercy. Con-
!. trolling the southern coast of Fin
land, Russia also could threaten the
PruSsian coast.
E So for the distant future, as well
Is the immediate present. Germany
had every reason for wanting to stop
: the war in Finland.
Quick Blow at Reich Favored.
There is in England, which I have
Just left, a school of thought which
believes that time is not necessarily
on the side of the allies-that in the
present war of waiting, Germany is
inflicting dangerously heavy damage
on English shipping at small cost
to herself. This school favors a
quick blow at Germany while Eng
'1and has q merchant marine capable
OF sustaining such efforts.
. Sweden's position Is that she did
not want the Russians to overrun
Finland and arrive on her unpro-
tected and almost indefensible
northern frontier. But neither did
she want to risk having her own
cities the battle grounds for major
world war by allowing allied aid to
Finland to pass through her terri
tory over German protests.
Sweden could have herself de-
clared war on Russia and sent to
Finland 100000 men out of a total
army of 45O,O00 These, plus the
100000 Films, plus the great de-
,fensive advantages of the Finnish
terrain, could have held the Rus
SLAMS out of Finland indefinitely.
But Sweden was frightened away
from such course by Germany who,
through both her diplomatic chan
nels and via the radio, has been
bullying the Swedes with politely
veiled threats. That they should
remember their country is poor and
weak, in spite Of their sympathy for
Finland they must remain realistic,
remembering what might happen to
Sweden If she abandoned her neu-
Nrality.
Sweden Threatened.
BY putting pressure on Russia,
Sweden and Finland for an i'm
mediate peace of this sort Germany
may have extricated herself from a
very dangerous situation. While for
the past two months Germany has
been bullying Sweden with threats
as to what might happen to her if
she were to abandon her traditional
neutrality to give effective aid to
the Firms, the Nazis were in no
position to back up these threats.
They could, of course, easily invade
Denmark, but when they attempted
to cross the straits to Sweden that
would have been another matter.
The Swedish coast artillery, all
military authorities agree, is the best
in the world. 1t also goes without
saying that the minute Germany
makes q move against Sweden the
British and French would instantly
move in to help the Swedes, and
this would make any German at
tempts to land on the coast OF
Sweden as costly as the Gallipoli
disaster was to the British in the
last World War.
Furthermore, once the British and
the French were installed in
Sweden their bombing planes are
only few hours from Berlin and
Athe other big industrial and rail
Fcenters of North Germany, hitherto
protected from serious air bombing
by their distance from any allied
flying field. In addition the coast
lof East Prussia is very badly de-
sfended, for heretofore the only
bower which might have menaced 1t
SRas Russia, which had no navy of
any consequence, and the coastal
Notifications Of East Prussia were
Acaled accordingly. A landing on
this coast for the British and
French once they were firmly based