GERMANY AND SYRIA.

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 117, 16 June 1941, Page 4

GERMANY AND SYRIA.

GERMANY now proclaims that she is leaving Syria to the French; but this does not mean that the German High Command is indifferent to the trend of events in that land. It does mean that Germany is anxious to involve France ip a quarrel with Britain, jvhioh would give to Germany the colour of a right to "help" France in all those areas of operations which concern Germany. Sufficient evidence has become available to prove that the Germans were using their by-now-familiar methods of infiltrating into a country in. order to prepare for an open offensive later on. By entering the territory now the British have interrupted this activity in its early stages, and this will make the task less difficult than it would have been had British action been delayed. British action, however, had to depend upon two prior conditions: one, the freedom from commitments elsewhere, and two, the assembling of a force which is sufficiently strong to give the venture a reasonable chance of succeeding. The British troops, too, must not be east for the role of invaders, for if they are it will raise up an opposition to them which, it is to be hoped, will be avoided. The whole of the operation must be made to bear its true character, which is opposition to the German infiltration, not V an attempt to oust France. Thus the Free French forces are a very important element in the operation, and if they succeed, in making proper contacts with their compatriots the secessions from the garrison should be numerous. While the French European troops can be expected to approach the problem of where they slhall give their allegiance in a rational way, the probability is that the French African troops, which are believed to be numerous, will be influenced by the advice of their officers. The garrison troops have been inactive for a long time, and this should have a deteriorating influence upon them. They have shown no readiness to fight in the opening stages of the campaign, and it is to be hoped that they will continue thus in the face of the oncoming Free French troops. This hope, however. should not be regarded as one which is sure to be realised' : for the situation is, en the whole, full of uncertainties. In the face of these many uncertainties it would he unwise either to expect no effective opposition or to press forward the campaign with a vigour which would call forth opposition which might be avoided by the use of more delicate and seemingly indecisive tactics. Taking a broad view of the situation, it .appears that the action of the Free French forces t supported by the British, in entering Syria is timely, is likely to be mixed in its operational character, and while fraught with risks, the undertaking of such risks is perfectly legitimate and logical from both military and political standpoints.