DETERRENTS TO ACTION.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 November 1939, Page 4

DETERRENTS TO ACTION.

JN one of yesterday’s cablegrams a Washington correspondent was quoted as reporting an opinion held by diplomats that German uneasiness over the Soviet's designs: in the Baltic ami the Balkans, and fears that .Russia would take advantage of the German involvement in the West to extend her influence over the Scandinavian, countries, were factors deterring the Nazis from a western drive. There are, of course, other factors to be included in the same broad category, amongst them Hie Maginot Line, adequately manned by the French and British armies. One by no means unimportant factor is the onset of winter. It is sufficiently obvious, however, that Germany has been served badly and ineptly by those who involved her in her present agreement with Russia. Whatever the ultimate aims of M. Stalin ami his colleagues may be, it is plain to demonstration that they are intent on building up Russian interests to Hie greatest extent possible as against those of Germany. Ostensibly, as the Nazis have presented their ease, the agreement with Russia has relieved Germany I rom the danger ami the consequences of having to conduct a w;ir on two I routs, 'rhe actual position appears to be (hat Germany, with Poland for the film* being overrun, has achieved the appearance ol peace on her Eastern front al the cost ol accepting no inconsiderable part of the consequences of defeat, Certainly she finds herself today occntpyipg a position of definite inferiority in relation to Russia both in the. Baltic and in the Balkans. The blundering thus betrayed is after all thoroughly typical of the policy which plunged Europe into war ami Hie developments of that policy to the present date. The latest development of all—the indiscriminate sowing of mines in the North Sea in open find flagrant violation of the laws of war and of a specific convention which Germany very recently pledged herself to observe and respect, is not more remarkable in its brutal ferocity than as a new example of ineptitude. The greatest sufferers thus far from the illegal, mining of the North Sea have been neutral nations who most certainly will not be induced by the sinking of their ships and murder of their nationals to look on Germany with friendly eyes. Al the same time Britain has been moved to what should prove to be a. thoroughly effective measure of retaliation in making exports of German origin or ownership, hitherto immune from interference, subject, to seizure on the high seas. No doubt Germany will suffer in this way far greater loss and damage than she can hope to inflict by indiscriminate mine-laying.

In this matter and in others it is manifest that the German people, as well as those with whom they art' meant hue at war, and the neutral, nations which are being subjected to intolerable outrage, are Hie victims of Nazi aggression. Nothing is demanded of the German people as Hie price of peace but that they should terminate the rule ami the crimes of gangsters who are leading them ever deeper into disaster, and it is clear that in overthrowing the Nazi dictatorship the German people would be serving their own interests quite as much as those of any other nation