THE NEWS BEHIND THE HEMLINES

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 251, 27 October 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE NEWS BEHIND THE HEMLINES

. . . ACE AMBASSADORS

Long range 7 5 m. m. guns are shooting from far behind the French lines, while really heavy artillery, 500 m. m. monsters, are being prepared for the siege.

Holland is torn between a proGerman aristocracy (in a semifeudal state), a pro-German middle-class, and a pro-British proletariat and big business. The Dutch Cabinet is composed of representatives of these principal business interests, but the machinery- of Government •is aristocratic.

Roosevelt has three ace Foreign Ambassadors in Europe, Joe Kennedy m London, Bill Bullet in Paris, and Tony Drexel Biddle, late Ambassador to Poland. On these men will depend America’s action in the war. For n*ore than a year Bullet and Kennedy have predicted war in September. Kennedy has shown no signer of partiality, and is strongly in favour of United States neutrality. Bullet and Biddle are less cautious. Biddle has had the experience of being bombed in Warsaw and Naleczow —was eye witness of German atrocities in peaceful Polish villages. Wealthiest of the three, Biddle- is an “ amateur ” diplomat, who Jias made good. Divorced in 1931 by tobacco heiress Mary Duke ('£12,000,000), he married Mrs. Thompson Schulze (£21,000,000). Like late Ambassador to Ger-many-Dodds, he is an outspoken critics of Nazi methods.

. . . STRATEGY

The Maginot Line is manned by veteran troops and regulars. The attacking is being done by reservists. The same tactics are being followed by the Germans. 35-45 year olds of the Landwehr man the West Wall, while young shock troopers man the trenches.

. . . RUMANIA

To get a picture of the intrigue now reaching a crescendo in Rumania you must realise that this is the border between East and West. Rumania is a feudal agricultural and pastoral land still living in the middle ages, but where bombs a,nd revolvers

. CAUTION

. REPETITION

No one who can remember the years 1913-18 can fail to be struck by the similarity of events. The hackneyed saying that History repeats itself is proving true. On August 4, 1914, United States Ambassador Walter Page was summoned to the Foreign Office to hear Sir Edward Grey speak the fateful words, “ There will be war.” On September 3, 1939, Joe Kennedy walked in through the same oak doorway to hear, gaunt, religious Lord Halifax repeat the same words, *• There will be war. At 11 a.m. this country will be at war with Germany.” On May 7, 1915, Ambassador Page cabled President Wilson that the “Lusitania,” with 1,198 passenger's (124 of them American), had been torpedoed by a German submarine. On September 4, 1939, Ambassador Kennedy cabled President Roosevelt -that the “ Athenia,” with 1,418 people on L>oard, including 300 Americans, had been torpedoed.

. TACTICS

A frequent comment heard nowadays is that this does not seem a “proper war.” You will be able to understand what is happening on the Western Front if you bear these facts in mind.

At the outbreak of war the common frontier of France and Germany was, except for a hundred mile section, the River Rhine. To invade Germany anywhere but this 100 mile sector (the Saar Valley) would have meant crossing the Rhine.

The western boundary of this area is the River Moselle, a tributary of the Rhine, which runs north from Metz. This is hilly vineyard and forest country, which lends* itself more to defence than attack. Here General Gamelin’s troops moved forward cautiously in the first three weeks of war until they occupied some three hundred square miles of German territory.

.STRATEGY

Between the massive groups of forts, which form the West Wall, and the International boundary, were not only forests of trees, but forests of pill-boxes and blockhouses (called “ Bunkers ” by the Germans), bristling with machine guns and connected by deep concrete trenches. The machine guns were so placed that every foot of the intervening territory could be swept by a withering fire. First task of the French was to feel out these defences by aerial photography and scouting parties on foot. As they located each pill-box, blockhouse, or tank trap, the obstruction was shelled by guns from the Maginot Line. The crumbling outposts were then rushed by tanks and infantry. One by one they were destroyed. The beleagured German defenders often blew up their own outposts after retreating underground to the next blockhouse. Some pill-boxes had robot machine guns, operated electrically by remote control. The French found the woods full of cteath traps of all kinds, but made steady progress until their advanced posts dominated the important industrial town of Saarbrucken. The Maginot Line is now out of range of German guns, while the West Wall is being battered by French artillery. Ponderous 155 m. m. howitzers are hurling their half ton projectiles seven miles high to fall with devastating effect on the hastily constructed forts.

No farmer is more careful of his pedigree herd or fertiliser than Gamelin is of his resources of men and materials. The disastrous extravagance of life manifest by Joffre and the British generals in the Somme will not be repeated. The basic French combat group consists of 10 men with one light machine gun. Each attack is as carefully planned as a seedling bed. Reserves of double strength are always kept behind. No phase of an attack is carried beyond its greatest momentum. If a particularly stubborn blockhouse obstructs them the French wait until artillery has cleared it away.

. RECONNAISSANCE

Many people wonder why so many reconnaissance flights have been reported over Germany, but so few bombing raids. The reason is that it is more important for the armies to have the necessary information than to. destroy property at present. It is a long time since French planes flew over Germany, and vice versa. There are many changes to be photographed, sketched or observed. Intelligence maps are being marked and flagged in preparation for offensives later on.

. HOLLAND

There is a real danger that Hitler may invade Holland to use Dutch bases for bombing raids on England. This would have an advantage in that the French Army could not reach him except by violating Belgium, which would be unlikely, also the British would be reluctant to bomb the Dutch bases. Whether Holland or Belgium is invaded depends on whether the German Army or Air Force is chosen as the chief weapon of destruction. This again rests on the decision of which ally Germany should strike at first. It appears that Hitler has not made up his mind whether to strafe England and parley with France, or to strike at France and talk peace with Britain. Much depends on his choice. At the present rate of production the Allies will be supreme in the air by 1941, and will increase their lead every year until Germany is hopelessly outclassed. So whatever Hitler decides he must act soon.

The distinction between German and Dutch in places is no greater than between Dutch and Deutcli. . There are many influential Nazis in high places, in the Dutch Government and civil life, although numerically they are inferior to the Catholic and Socialist elements. To prevent the Socialists from * exercising the power to which their numbers would entitle them the big business interests have swung toward Nazi-ism. It will be iemembered, also, that Holland was the nursery for the Nazi movement. I his is not surprising, as the business interests of the two countries interlock. German aristocracy dominates Europe, and Holland, in this respect, mirrors Potsdam. German blue-bloods from the Kaiser down are mostly staunch Nazis. So it will be seen that German influence on Holland is greatci than on Denmark, Belgium, or any other independent European country. On the other hand, Dutch business interests are closely linked with Britain. William of Orange brought many Dutch followers to Britain, some of whom founded the Bank 01 England, in whifh Dutch inte r ' ests are still important. After banking conies oil (the AngloDutch Shell Co., which controls 60 per cent, of the world’s oil output), the world’s soap and margarine monopoly (Lever Bros.), and the world’s diamond market All these industries have thenbest market in the British Empire, and, indeed, operate as British enterprises.

The Inside Story of What is Happening in the World To-day

in the hands of students and political partisans sow death with a reckless hand. One of the largest Jewish populations in Europe has prevented assimilation, so that the ancient gulf between Jew and gentile is still maintained. As elsewhere the unity of the Jews has gained them a powerful position in the economic life of the country—with the inevitable reaction of antisemitism. The anti-semitic factions have been fertile soil for Nazi propagandists and German influence in underground movements is strong. Watch for a fresh wave of murders next month as Hitler turns on the heat.