The Dominion THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1943. A PORTENTOUS MEETING

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 105, 28 January 1943, Page 4

The Dominion THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1943. A PORTENTOUS MEETING

The meeting between the British .Prime. Minister and the President of the United States at Casablanca, in North Africa may be fittingly described as a portentous event, far exceeding m the importance of its immediate strategic implications the conterence from which emer - ed that historic declaration of human and national lights, the Atlantic Charter The fact that the two leaders had m attendance 101 consultation and advice such a full and representative assemblage ol chiefs of staffs of the fighting and other co-ordinated sei vices gives to the proceedings the momentous significance of a full-dress council of war held for the definite purpose of reaching important decisions and planning for putting these into effect. '1 he nature of these decisions obv ously cannot be revealed except in the light of future events but it may be assumed that one of the objects m view was to evolve a basis of world-war grand strategy that would remedy cei tain aspects of present policy which have been the subject of criticism such as for example, the strategy of defensive-offensive in the Pacific, which in Australia is regarded as falling short of the. requirements. Indeed the whole character of the war situation seems like y 0 assume a dramatic change through the adoption resolved upon of an offensive strategy in all theatres, with the possible opening and developing of front in Europe. Recent events in North Africa and on the Russian front have created possibilities of offensive action elsewhere which the Allied leaders and their service staffs no doubt have been quick to appreciate, and with the steadily mounting i esources at their disposal, they have been encouraged to plan delibeiatcly for action. Signs have not been wanting that the opportunity is favourable, and the time ripe,, for the delivering of heavy and concerted blows at the enemy on all fronts in order that the tempo of the wai may be accelerated and its duration shortened. Ihe shatteung of the enemy’s resistance at his most vulnerable points in Europe would go far to off-set the greatest menace the Germans are now able to o ei ,1“ U-boat attacks » the shipping ot the United Nafons-wh. e a •vigorous offensive in the Pacific would prevent the Japanese fiom developing strong defences in the territories they now occupy. By no means the least important of the results achieved was the meeting between General de Gaulle and General Giraud in circumstances nortending an early solution of the questions winch thus fai have been an embarrassment to the Allies in North Africa, and hampered the attainment of complete French unity. Ihe two leadei s are now united in a common purpose, the utmost support of the Al ic. in the war against the Axis, a struggle which, in the nngmg tetms of the challenging declarations by Mr. Churchill and Presiden Rooseve t is to be waged relentlessly until the Axis enemy is overwhelmed and forced to “unconditional surrender.” This meeting between the two French leaders is likely to have a profound effect in Fiance itself. So far as divided allegiances are concerned, it should now be a choice fo Frenchmen throughout their own country and the French Colona Empire, between Vichy and the Allies, lhe choice, should be made easier for them by the friendly gesture of help to the Fiendi people, implied in the fact that the British Prime Minister and the of the United States had travelled so far from their own countries to meet on French soil.' For an American President to leave his own country is not an unprecedented event, but not since the days o Lincoln it is pointed out, has its Chief Executive visited a wai front during the period of active hostilities. That he should have done so now emphasizes the immense importance of the meeting. Of no less significance is the fact that throughout the de iberations, Premier Stalin, of Russia, and General Chiang Kai-shek, the Chinese generalissimo, were kept fully informed of the proceedings at. Casablanca. Thus the -whole pattern of unified Allied strategy and cooperation appears to have been shaped and rounded off with a comprehensiveness and thoroughness that inspire the greatest hopes and confidence for the year 1943. The significance of this achievement will not be lost upon the Axis leaders, who cannot tail to see in tie unanimity of purpose and offensive spirit displayed, the shape of momentous events to come.