BLUNT TALK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1940, Page 6

BLUNT TALK

BRITISH CHIEF OF STAFF ON WAR OUTLOOK Attack ©u Western Front Would be Welcomed ALLIES WELL PREPARED TO DEAL WITH IT DETERMINATION TO CRUSH SPIRIT OF HITLERISM (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.* (Received This Duv. .10.4(1 mm.) , LONDON April 5 An uproar has been caused by an important interview with General Sir Edmund Ironside, arranged by the Ministry of Information, in which the Chief of the Imperial General Stall invites Germany to attack on the Western J’ront. The interview, which is Sir IS. Ironside’s first public pronouncement since the ciiihrmik of war, was distributed in America by Hearst’s Press mid published exclusively in the -‘Daily Express. ’ ’ Sir F. Ironside said: “Frankly we would welcome an al lack". We are sure of ourselves and have no fears. We are now lightening up the blockade. Now we shall see what Germany will do. Time is agaiiisi Germany. She cannot forever keep her armies in ihc bailie area. poised for action, and I hen not make a move. Her morale is eerlaiii to sillier. Our Army has al lasi turned lhe corner. I was sure of ihis I'm- the first limo a fori iiighl ago. We stalled with very liltle. The Germans gave us three months Io build up our fighting force. If they had launched a full attack al lhe very start, when we were unprepared. Hwy might possibly have got us. It is too late now. We are ready for anything Ihey may slarl. As a matter of fael \v<> should welcome a go at I limn. ” Asked whether he thought Germany would al lack soon, through Holland and Belgium, Sir hl. Ironside said: “Of course lhe Gormans may try. bni a modern mechanised army cannot move with much hope of success unless Hie weather is good, underfoot and overhead. Certainly you cannot trust Hie weather of the Low Countries in early spring.” Expanding his statement, that lhe Allied Army would welcome a German al lack on the Western Front, Sir E. Ironside said: “Whoever breaks through the great defence system there must improvise. The Germans are no good at this. They can plan a groat campaign to lhe last detail, hut cannot quickly improvise. The German Army has one weakness which is largely overlooked —she lias no commanders who were more than captains during the Great War.- Wo and the French have many senior officers who have had every type of experience and have exercised every command. Here in Britain we have had lime to co-ordinate our military effort. Every bit of our equipment and armament is brand new. “I think it right to say that the British Army is the finest equipped in the world. We know just for what we are fighting-. We are not going- to live in a world dominated by constant threats of war and pillage. We are determined to end this aggression and oppression for all time. We do not for a moment think Hitler is our only enemy. It is the spirit of Hitlerism that must be crushed. We are not deluded by any idea that if Hitler goes, a peace can easily bo made. As long as the German Army is intact there will always be danger.” The Secretary for War (Mr Oliver Stanley) said: “I have read Sir E. Ironside’s interview and agree with the views expressed. ’ ’

NEW FRONTS?

PROBLEMS FOR GERMANY AND FOR RUSSIA RISKS OF AGGRESSIVE ACTION NAZIS AND THE NEUTRAL * NATIONS. POSITION TN THE BALKANS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received This Dav 11 a.m.) LONDON. April 5. “There are a number of reasons why this great German force is kept intact and ready,” the British Chief of Staff (Sir Edmund Ironside) stated in the course of his interview. “Besides forming a very real threat, it unquestionably gives the enemy easy control of his active troops. He can handle every ' phase of troop life more efficiently when the men are kept in a battle area.”

Asked about the possibility of action in the Balkans in the spring or summer, Sir E. Ironside said: "Certainly Germany has no real front on any of the Balkan borders at the moment. It would weaken her terriliicnlly if she attempted to build two fronts, as in the Great War, and the Balkan armies are now better prepared. "Regarding the neutrals’ position," he observed: ‘ Germany is almost, surrounded by neutrals, whom he is doing her best to use as supply bases. She wants to neutralise them all, but at the same time to keep them under her domination. She may feel that it is better to try this by pressure rather than by straight military force.”

Turning to Russia,' Sir E. Ironside said: “Russia has had some rather disastrous experiences in fighting wars at the ends of far-flung railway lines. We knew her whole transportation system has suffered and she has had some fairly good lessons in Finland on what modern war is. She had grave difficulty in feeding parts of her civilian population during the Finnish war. There are some who even think that the whole Finnish settlement is little more than a truce.”