The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1939. AXIS BREAKS UP

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20035, 6 September 1939, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES.” WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1939. AXIS BREAKS UP

In the first and most important round of the fresh struggle for the dominancy of rule by Right over that of Might in Europe, Britain and her allies have scored a magnificent triumph. The German-Italian-Japanese Axis has failed to withstand the strain brought to bear upon it by the tremendous weight of the justice of the Allies’ cause. With a pleasing rapidity, practically all the nations outside the belligerents have now lined themselves up in accordance with the dictates of their consciences. And what does one find? Germany has not secured a single voluntary recruit to her unworthy and despicable cause. All that she can lay claim to is that the Slovaks are lo help her, but, as their territory is, to-day, over-run by German troops, it will be readily understood that the inhabitants have not been given any option in the matter. In order to keep the equally stricken Czechs from assisting the Allied cause, Germany is rounding up notables amongst them and they are to be held as hostages. But that is not all. Italy has deserted the Axis that was engineered by Germany, and has agreed to prohibit the export of war materials, etc., to Germany or to any other country. In token of Italy’s very wise decisions, France has reopened tlie Franco-Italian frontier. Further proof that Italy’s break with Germany is complete lies in the fact that the Italian Atlantic liners are about to resume their sailings. If Italy had not come to her senses, she would, of course, have found herself, to-day, cut off from her North African possessions. Japan, too, has decided that she has sufficient troubles on her hands in the East, without becoming involved in the strife in Europe. Nothing is known for certain about the attitude of vacillating Russia, but she appears to be far from anxious to intervene on Germany’s behalf.

The opening stages of hostilities in Europe have resolved themselves into a definite, and determined, bid by the Allies to win the initiative and, with it, the immediate ascendancy. As far as the control of the seas is concerned, the Royal Navy saw to that important matter without the slightest delay. The next step has been a striking display, by British (and also by French) airmen, of entire lack of dreacl of Germany’s much-vaunted claim that she has built air fleets so formidable that no enemy would prove capable of invading her territory from the air. Nothing could have given greater satisfaction in the Allied countries, therefore, than the reports that British flyers had, so soon after the declaration of war, invaded Germany without serious challenge. The distribution of millions of handbills telling the people of Germany that the Allies had made war, not because of any hatred of them, but because the time had arrived to strike a decisive blow against Hitlerian oppression and persecution in Europe, amounted, unquestionably, to the finest piece of propaganda work that has ever been carried out during a war. It would also create intense delight to the Allied peoples to learn that other British planesr-and it would seem that they were joined by French planes—had carried out very valuable reconnaissances over portions of Germany. But most gratification must have been occasioned by the further intelligence that other intrepid British airmen (very regrettably, however, not without some loss) had gained a considerable measure of success in a bombardment upon units of the German fleet at Wilhelrrishavcn and at Cuxhaven. This daring move was, no doubt, part of the Allied general plan that aims at forcing Germany to release her grip on Poland and concentrate upon her own defences. If Britain and France continue to take the offensive in the air, it will, assuredly, speed up the victory that they so well deserve.

All. the evidence now available clearly indicates that the conflict will be of short duration compared with the World War. There can be no question, but that the struggle of 1914-18 became unduly prolonged because the Allies, (and, particularly, Britain) were, unfortunately, sadly unprepared for war on land and in the air on such a vast scale, when it was, twenty-five years ago, forced upon them by Germany. It would greatly astonish all -J&few Zealanders who have, since then, attained rrynhood or womanhood if they could appreciate how difficult the Allies found it, in the early stages of that struggle, to put up a stout resistance against the furious onslaughts by Germany’s huge military machine, reinforced (as it was) with all the Strength which Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey could also apply. But the Allies will now show Germany how greatly they benefited from the sorry

lessons which were impressed upon them on account of their unpreparedness at the outset of the World War, and, indeed, for a long time afterwards, It would, of course, be unwise for anyone to suggest that, on this occasion, there may not,- again be many tough and bitter encounters and that there may not, once more, be very dark, as well as very sunny, days ahead before Germany is again crushed—and this task will require to be much more completely accomplished this time. Fortunately, the Allies will not —as was the case during the World War—be required to fight on a number of widely-scattered fronts as the military section of this great struggle will be restricted to the Western Front, Britain (as well as France) being enabled to concentrate the whole of her land forces there straightaway. It may, we think, safely be prophesied that, in no sense will the current conflict be anything like so costly to the Allies as was the World War. The struggle would, plainly, be shortened if large Allied air fleets could be . spared to engage solely on the work of destroying Germany's munition factories and of wrecking her lines of communication leading to the Western Front.