EFFECT OF THE WAR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 100, 13 December 1939, Page 5

EFFECT OF THE WAR

VISITORS' VIEWS

Visitors to Kotorua whose home in a neutral country is not a great distance from the Western Front give a graphic description of the war situation in Europe.

The peoples of Denmark, Holland and Belgium x*efer to Germany us the "mad-house of Europe." The three countries named have taken the utmost precautions against any eventuality that may arise. Not only are the frontiers heavily, fortified and defensive measures on an elaborate scale carried out right through to the coast, but all art objects in the galleries and museuxns of the principal cities have been removed to places of safety. Social and cultural'activities are at a stand still; industry and commerce is more or less demoralised, and the repercussions of war are having a disastrous effect upon almost every phase of life. Petrol Shortage. The visitox-s referred to the petrol shortage in Germany. This is an economic factor that will of itself in the end bring defeat. The quantities used by the various heavy units

almost exceed belief. An advance of a few hundred yards by a number of small tanks means the consuxixption of a thousand gallons. To meet all requiremexits petrol must literally 11 ow in livers. Of the many miscalculations made by Hitler and his advisers, this is by far the most serious and lxxay well prove fatal.

In referring to the Maginot Line, the visitors expressed the opinion that this miracle oi' engineering skill is as invulnerable as science can make it. Its capture would inA T olve the loss of from one to two million liA 7 es. Frenzy of German Leaders. Germany AA'ill become desperate and in her increasing desperation resort to all manner of vicious and foolhardy expedients. Against the Frenzy of the German leaders, entrapped at every turn, is opposed the cool, calculating Avill-poAver of the Allied Command equipped with resources of incalculable magnitude. The visitors expressed the opinion that in the air the Allies Avill soon show overwhelming superiority. The mental and moral collopse of the German people is regarded as a certainty. In this respect their resources are as slender as in the material sense.