Evening star., 1942-09-29
Axis Boosts-ond q RepIv

AXIS boosts-und q Reply
Last Sunday marked the second
anniversary Of the signing of the
three-poWer pact which converted
the Berlin-Rome- Toxic Axis from
diplomatic alignment into a full
f1edged military alliance. The mo-
mentous date was celebrated with
due pomp and ceremony in all three
Axis capitals, faithfully echoed by
Axis satellites from Croatia to Man.
chukuo. Cabinet ministers and gen.
erals made grandilcquent speeches
which, born1 over the raoio, per-
turbed the ether with boastful asser-
tions.
AS might have been expected,
Joachim Won Ribb2ntrop, German
Foreign Minister, sounded the kew
note. Surveying the world situation
from the Axis viewpoint, he painted
a rosy picture of coming triumph.
According to him, Stalingrad was an
obstinate episode in Soviet Russia's
impending reduction to "a most
difficult position" with alleged
losses of 100000 soldiers and 1o0.-
100000 of its population under Axis
control. Startling though these
assertions may be, they are less
sweeping than those which he and
the other Nazi leaders were making
year ago, when they claimed Rus
sia was finished and it's army vir-
tually annihilated
Ribbentrop had to admit, by infer
ence, that Allied air raids were hurt
ing the Reich, but promised that the
damage would be repaid with in
terest, and that Britain, "this air
craft carrier off Europe" would be
decisively dealt with. For America,
the most interesting part of Ribben-
trops speech was his acknowledge
ment that the formation of the
tripartite pact two years ago was
directed primarily against the United
States, although at that time we
were still neutral.
Over in Toxic, Foreign Minister
Tani and Premier Tojo, though
equally confident of victory, were
less famboyant than Ribbentrop
and intimated that the war might
be a long one The most subdued
note came from Rome, where Foreign
Minister Ciano stated: "The task
that lies before the tripartite powers
is great, but the objective is greater
still, and we persevere.
Now contrast this Axis survey of
the world situation and prospects
with the one made almost simul-
taneously by General Sir Archibald
Wavell, British commander in chief
IN India, to a group of British and
American newspapermen at a din
ner in a New Delhi hotel. General
WaselPs ability and wide experience
eminently fitted him for the task,
which he performed with intelli-
gence and moderation, coupled with
flashes of humor. Certainly there
was no boasting, and there were
frank admissions of the difficulties
ahead. The crucial nature of the
pattle at sea was emphasized; like
wise Rommels unexpected success
in Egypt and the resultant unsatis-
factory situation. But the Germans
have not succeeded in their major
objective this year-the breaking of
Russia's military power. Stubborn
Russian resistance has upset the
German strategic timetable and
badly compromised Nazi plans for
a gigantic pincer drive through
Africa and the Caucasus into the
Middle East
AS for Japan, General Wavell
likened it to a boa contrictor that
has swallowed a big goat and now
needs time to digest its ample meal
The general thought Japan has been
hard hit in the Solomons and is de-
ticient in air power, which make it
unlikely that the japanese high
command could undertake such
major moves as a full-scale invasion
of India or Australia at the present
time, He ended his survey with a
tribute to the "spirit and staying
power" Of the United Nations, which
will be the deciding factor in the
end"