Evening star., 1941-09-01
The Third Year Beoins

Just two years ago today the Sep
tember dawn over Poland was
smudged by mass flights of German
airplanes dealing wholesale death
and destruction to that unhappy
land Thus did Adolf Hitler confront
the world with the grim reality of
blitzkrieg - that lightning war"
which, even as threat, had gained
him so many diplomatic victories.
The Polish conflict was soon over.
Before the month was out Poland
was crushed between the German
onset and the Russian "stab in the
back" But Hitlers hope that Britain
and France would bow to an accom-
pliShed fact had already proved vain.
Both powers honored their treaty
obligations with Poland, and two
days after the Fuehrer launched his
invasion they declared war on the
Reich. Thereby the struggle broad
ened from a local conflict into the
logical successor of World War Num-
Der One.
The intense yet brief Polish over
ture gave place to six months of
deceptive quiet which led some
American observers to dub it a
'phoney war" But in April, 1910, the
Wehrmacht lashed out once more
with its seizure of Denmark and Nor
way, while month later came the
titanic drive through the Low Coun-
tries. which. by mid-June, forced de-
feated France to make an armiStice
with Germany and it's new ally, Italy,
which had opportunistically struck
in on the German side.
PSychologically as we'll as strate-
gically, this was the pinnacle of Ger
man triumph. Britain alone stood
out. And Britain was seemingly in
an almost hopeless situation. Much
of its small trained army and most
of its equipment had been lost in the
Dunkerque disaster. Only the Royal
Navy and Air Force stood between
Britain and victorious German hosts
confronting it from the tip Of Nor
way to the Spanish border As the
war ended its first year, the Luft-
waite had already begun a terrific
aerial offensive to soften" Britain
for an invasion across the narrow
English Channel
But Britain withstood this supreme
test. The Royal Navy continued to
rule the waves, while the Luftwaffe
could never gain control of Britain's
skies. Despite staggering losses of
merchant shipping, the sea lanes
were not cut by German bombers
and submarines. Lastly, Britain's
critical situation in the Mediter-
ranean and Near East was saved by
brilliant victories on land and sea
which revealed the hollowness Of
Italian power.
During the wars second year, Ger
man arms have won new triumphs,
especially in the Balkans. But the
attack on Soviet Russia last June,
caused largely by the need to control
new sources of raw materials. dis
closed the strangling grip of the
British blockade, while the stagger-
ing German losses in men and equip
ment due to Russian resistance have
adjourned Indefinitely the threat of
invading Britain, now transformed
into briStling fortress with strength
to spare for consolidating it's grip
upon the Near and Middle East.
Backed by immense resources of it's
dominions and of America, modified
increasingly and effectively, Britain's
situation is immeasurably stronger
today than it was on the wars first
tragic anniversary.
Nevertheless, Germany still retains
the general initiative. and its tre-
mendous striking power is far from
spent. Obviously racing against
time, the embattled Reich and its
allies may be expected to drive
furiously on all feasible fronts. The
decision thus hangs in the balance.
And, unless the Axis is crippled by
new war losses or by crucial short
ages of vital raw materials such as
oil, this second anniversary may be
merely a marker on a long and weary
road