BALKANS AND AFRICA

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 85, 7 October 1940, Page 7

BALKANS AND AFRICA

NEW FIELDS OF ACTION

BRITISH PRESS COMMENT

(British Official Wireless, i

RUGBY, October 5.

Diplomatic circles in London do not appear to be greatly impressed by the exceedingly vague content of the official statement put out after the conference of the Axis leaders at the Brenner Pass.

As the "Daily Telegraph" points out, two fields of 'action have been tempting them following the disappointment of their hopes of an early British collapse. These are the Balkans and Africa. There are, however, rivalries between German and Italian interests in the Balkans which the Axis has done little to compass. Africa may be easier to divide on paper and Mussolini might be willing to accept, orders to attack the British if Hitler would supply him with air and land forces, since he must face the fact that on the sea the German navy is in no case to assist the Italian or to cavil at its eminent caution. - "It is possible," the paper says, "that the suggestion of .an offered peace may cloak the imminence of fresh military action or that another sham of pacific intentions may be offered us. We are ready for the first and we shall not be deceived by the second."

Though all the British newspapers give prominence to the meeting, little editorial comment is made. The "Daily Telffrraph." under the heading ' "Next Move." states that Hitler met Mussolini on the BrennerPass in the middle of March and then nrraneed that Italy should wait and not enter the war till Germany had disposed of France In the middle of June they conferred again to divide the spoils. Since that time everything had gone awry with the dictatorships. The Luftwaffe was to have overwhelmed the British Air Force and opened British shores to a mass invasion long before this. Italy sliould have swept the Mediterranean, cut off Britain's armies in the Near East, and struck at the central communications of the Empire. Berlin advertised that it would celebrate a total triumph last month.

■ Speaking of yesterday's meeting, the "Daily Telegraph" says that when Hitler shook hands with Mussolini they were able to exchange congratulations on the shattering defeat of the Luftwaffe, on the destruction of the flotillas of the invasion, on the continually heaviei bombing of Germany's war machine, on the recurring flights of the Italian fleet, on the incapacity of the Italian air force, and on the prolonged hesitation of the Italian army hundreds of desert miles away from the Nile and the Suez Canal.