DANGERS OF FUTURE

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 134, 16 January 1939, Page 4

DANGERS OF FUTURE

coming crisis - DICTATORS TO COMBINE XEW DEMANDS : , ' r; •• - •* .. z LONDON, Dec. 11.—While s reports from most of * the European capitals confirm the forecast of the. 'South African Minister for Defence,: Mr, p. throw, that there will lie' another crisis in the spring, there is so far no ( clear indication where it is. to lie expected.

.Informed quarters .believe, however, that the Rome-Berlin axis will, as usual; act’, in perfect .concert, gradually increasing pressure against Britain and France until .a cjiniax is reached in February. x . •Broadly, the totalitarian Powers..regard their hour of destiny "as nehr, when they will “overcome the' .’overfed, inefficient, and effete domderacics.” ■■ : /J’he main factors in the outlook, as it is seen at present, are: a&'-fdllows i---hirst, General Franco, who ha's- lately' been reinforced by Italian, ayijl Ger-, man tanks, planes, and; aftillerv.; which have been pouring into Cadi;; and Bilbao, is expected to launch' a last- desperate offensive in the Segue

Valley, soiltli of Lerida. and to attempt a decisive- winter campaign. . Secondly,; Germany, will intensify plans for tlie formation of an independent Ukraine, consisting of Ituthenia and Eaist Galicia, , this forming the spearhead- for an attack on the ■ Russian Ukraine if Russian Ukrainians do--not . join in voluntarily. Thirdly, there will be Italian pressure in the Mediterranean . and North Africa.

Fourthly, there are the Japanese threats -against , Russia concerning Sakhalin..

So far, these factors are a. mere shadowy outline, and do not* include details. There,are, for example, also tlj.e German activities in Mom el, Danzig, Switzerland, and Denmark.; ■ >

This is -the opinion here, by way of explanation of the remark of Mr. Anthony .Eden, in the United States regarding the “gathering of storm.” Mr. Winston Churchill, in a speech to his constituents at Ripping, demanded the formation ‘of a real National Government instead* of the “present outworn sham.” “1 want a- Government,” lie declared, “which will be awake to the national danger before it is ’too .late, which will not continue an unwarranted optimism and fatuous complacency, waiting until the bombs fail before establishing national service.” It is significant that the speeches ot Mr. Eden and Air. Churchill coincided with a meeting of prominent-

city industrialists, stockbrokers, and lawyers, who expressed alarm at the Government drift and demanded a more resolute leadership.- The governor of the Bank,; of England, Air. AJiontagu Norman, expressed disapproval of tlie views, but the meeting decided to continue with, its plans. ; Tlie Government is simultaneously embarrassed by a revolt among tlie agricultural interests. The latest manifestation of this was the howling down of the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. W. S. Morrison, who was nimble tft continue his speech at Lincoln.