SECOND GREAT WAR ON

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 47, 22 June 1938, Page 4

SECOND GREAT WAR ON

CONFLICT IN SPAIN BRITISH EXPERT’S BIEW LONDON, May 16. —The second great war of the 20th. century began in July, 1936, according to Capt. Basil LiddeHtHart, historian and export on military 7 matters. ' - , •

Captain Liddell Hart, who is military correspondent of the. London Times, told the University College Union Society 7 in London that the first operations of the war came when Italy with aircraft gave “direct assistance’’ to the Spanish insurgents and Germany with warships ' gave “indirect assistance,” helping transport troops from Africa, to Spain. Preceding the war, he said, encouragement and experience- had heen gained by Jhpan in Manchuria and Italy in Ethopia" in defying the League of Nations 4 and developing the new technique oftcamoufiaged war.

“The ‘situation in this new great war now would seem to be that the enemy 7 -,-is within rgaeh.of gaining the decisive points without a battle, and in the most vital direction we have made no serious attempt to prevent him,” said Captain Liddell Hart. Discussing episodes of the Great War of 1914-18, .lie said that Field Marshal Earl Haig was “an honourable man according to his lights—hut his lights were dim.” The military writer said that Haig’s motive in, the 1917 Passcliendaele attack Was a desire to win the war single-handed by a British , offensive in Flanders, before ’United States soldiers arrived. “Haig ignored warnings by the engineering staff that the Ypres area,

being reclaimed marshland, would revert to swamp if-.tiie drainage system was destroyed by the necessary bombardment. He also ignored warnings by meteorological experts that in Flanders the weather regularly broke early in August.

' “When liis offensive -was launched on the last day of July it failed completely on the part that was most vital. The offensive continued until 400,00-0 men had been sacrificed.”