WAR SITUATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 May 1940, Page 4

WAR SITUATION

OPENING W.E.A. ADDRESS ATTITUDE OF ITALY & RUSSIA. GERMANY'S EFFORT IN NORWAY. There was a large attendance of the public last night to hear an interesting and instructive address by Mr A. S. Hely, tutor-organiser of the Victoria University College of the W.E.A. on the war situation. In his introduction Mr Hely pointed out that it was very difficult to obtain a correct perspective of the present struggle due to the fact that all messages dispatched by cable or wireless were necessarily censored. In addition commentators were more or less biased in their reports and conclusions and therefore it was impossible for those interested in international affairs to obtain the true position until after the events had taken place. Mr Hely then dealt with matters following the Finnish peace treaty, which ended the first phase of the war. The Allies then discovered that unless the leaks in the blockade were stopped the Germans would not be seriously inconvenienced and the warmight drag on for a considerable time. The war council then decided to block these leaks and take more active action against Germany. The Norwegian campaign by Germany was a direct result of that decision and the reason why Germany was making such a strong effort in Norway was to safeguard the shipping of ore from the Swedish mines as well as to prevent supplies from reaching Great Britain, as if- the Allies gained air bases in Norway they could, with their air force, prevent Germany from getting much iron from Sweden. Mr Hely also dealt with the present position in Italy, where public feeling was very much divided. Italy, he said, was actuated by purely selfish motives and was “sitting on the fence.” waiting to jump in to help the side she was sure was going to win. “If she came in on our side she would be more of a liability than anasset,” • added Mr Hely. General Gamelin recently said that if Italy remained neutral we would require two divisions to watch her; if she joined Germany we would have to have 10 divisions to keep her in check, but if she joined us, we would require 20 divisions to protect her from Germany. In regard to Russia, the lecturer pointed out that the Finnish campaign was due to the Russian fear of possible invasion from Germany as well as from the. Allies. Her entry into Polish territory was purely to stop Germany from encroaching into territory taken from her by Poland since the first great war. The area occupied by her did not encroach on the territory guaranteed by the Allies to Poland so that when Germany was defeated no question would crop up of driving Russia from Poland. Mr Hely considered that Russia was anxious to keep out of this war and would not be drawn in. However, she would supply Germany with any material which she could spare, like any other neutral.

A further five lectures giving greater detail of particular areas will be given on Thursday evenings each week and then classes will be formed to study the various subjects, in the W.E.A. courses. '■