War Day by Day

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1940, Page 6

War Day by Day

(By Our Special Observer.)

Comment on the News Weather in Channel Widening of Interest -

At Victoria Station at London, in the days before German bombers took to falling to pieces in its courtyard, there was a noticeboard which always attracted the attention of people leaving the terminus for Dover, or Folkestone, for the purpose of embarking on the crossChannel ships. The permanent lettering on the board read: "The Channel is:" and in a space below would be placed the appropriate word fitting the weather conditions in . the strip of water separating England and France. Sometimes the word was "cairn"; more frequently it was "choppy"; and occasionally the word resulted in the postponement of a journey by qualmish travellers when if tersely and ominously read "rough." j To-day, it would be in the nature of an under-statement to say that crossChannel traffic by sea is severely restricted, but it would not be an over- / statement to suggest that the number of people interested in the Channel weather is, by comparison with the days of peace, multiplied by some millions. It is an absorbing topic, even in America, as is illustrated in news broadcasts. Poison Gas and Invasion. Interest in Hitler's oft-threatened invasion is so keen thaf many people are linking with it the German propaganda statement on the subject of poison gas.' The fear that German troops could effect a land ing after having first stupified the defending forces with gas is largely exaggerated. Several simple reasons point to the fallacious nature of such a • fear. In the first place, the wind must be blowing from the required. direction to place the gas where it would suit the invader for it to be, and on the coasts winds have a trick of blowing off -shore and op-shore in rapid succession. Then again, if a gas screen. embarrassed the defenders it could equally embarrass the attackers who would have to pass through it. The same applies to parachute troops who landed in an area which had been subjected to a gas attack from the air. As tacties of war, paratroops and gas are analogous to oil and water. They do not

mix. The danger of gas to civilians is often overrated. It is one of the most ineffective forms of attack provided the general public are properly educated in the simple means of protecting themselves from its effects. Statistics of 1914-18 show that gas caused only 2\h. per cent. of military casualties, compared with 36 per cent. casual'ties from other causes for the duration of the war. When considering these figures it must be taken into consideration that the soldiers had no means of protection against gas in the early attacks. The real menace to civ-ilians arises from the fact" that they are not, as soldiers are, under discipline and are not compelled to keep their gas masks at the ready. * Water in the Desert. The Italian move across the Libyan border is, quite naturally, being watched by keen and anxious eyes in this Dominion. But it is probable that the soldiers in Egypt are, like their counterparts iii England, anxious to get at real grips with the land forces of the enemies. If the, whole tactical scheme of the 'italians can be summed up in one word, then that word is "water." An Ethio-pian-like drive' across the desert by mechanised forces would, of course, sidestep the problem. However, in Egypt the Italians have more than a horde of spear-armed natives to combat. If they make any advance at all it may be expected to be slow, and frequent consolidation against counter-attacks will be necessary. And during the attacks and at every nightly halt arises the vital need for water. At Sollum, which our forces have evacuated to retire to their prepared defences around Mersa Matruh, there is a little water, but not enough by any manner of means to supply an invading army. Already the Italians are far ahead of their water supplies, and already a consequent strain is thrown on their transport. Since their occupation of -Mersa Matruh the Empire forces have been improving the water facilities of the port. When the war started it was necessary to ration water at one gallon per day per mah. In November it was increased to two gallons, and later to three and a-half gallons per man. The advantage to the defenders of Mersa Matruh theri is not only one of prepared gun emplacements, it is also one of proximity to water supplies. French Warship Mystery. When it was suggested in this column yesterday that when the House of Commons met an inquisitive member would probably desire to know the reason some French warships were permitted to pass Gibraltar, one had not reckoned with Mr. Vernon Bartlett, M.P. This gentleman, if not Ihe most eloquent, certainly the most informative, of the British Broadcasting Corporation commentators, jumped the gun. He did not wait for the House to meet but, as he related at lunchtime yesterday, he sought an explanation of the intriguing happening from General de Gaulle's soldiers. But although some suggestions could be advanced, nothing in the nature of a satisfactory elucidation of the big query could be found. The London Daily Telegraph's diploxnatic correspondent appears to be inclined to the view expressed here yesterday that the Royal Navy is happy to see some potentially menacing naval units outside the confines of the Mediterranean. but why i-t, should be desirable to, allow them to be established on the West African trade route is not yet clear. A possible bearing upon the matter may ' be found to be in the recent disclosure that the Government of the Union of South Africa has not broken relations with, and still recognises, the Government of Marshal Petain as the Government of France. Attention to a Problem. It may appear to be drawing a bow rather far to see a connection between two seemingly insignificant items in the cable news, but Mr. Winston Churchill's reference to the Royal Air Force's"Czech comrades" and the reported, entrance of the Regent of Hungary into the Transylvanian town of Cluj draw attention to what will be one of the most interesting of the post-war problems. When Czechoslovakia, which Hungary . so willingly helped Hitler to destroy, was dismembered, Hungary took CarpathoRuthenia, which she claimed to be ethnieally her possession. With Czechs fighting with Britain, and the Czechoslovak National Committee of Dr. Benes recognised as an Allied Government; the claims the Czechs will justifiably put forward after the war will be of th« greatest concern to the expanded Regency of Admiral Horthy. Some time ago the Hungarian Government wgyned Britain and France against repeating the mistakes of the last peaee treatios. But it may well be that the view will be held that the mistakes were not made in 1919, but in the autumn of 193ft-