WAR IN THE WEST.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1940, Page 6

WAR IN THE WEST.

()VER an extended period, the view has been expressed repeat-

edly in the controlled German Press that Britain and her Allies do not relish the prospect of severe fighting in Western Europe and, as one commentator put it some lime ago, would prefer “diversions” in other parts of Europe. Up to the point at which Eranee had been defeated and the British .Expeditionary Force constrained to withdraw to its own country. Nazi theorists no doubt felt that their opinions had been vindicated triumphantly. It would be interesting' to know what they are really thinking' on the same subject today. Western Europe remains as much as ever the decisive theatre, but if is becoming more and more a theatre Io which Germany is pinned at an increasing disadvantage to herself. Hitler’s anticipatory reply to the British blockade was the development of sei [-sufficiency in Germany, tin 1 promotion of the manufacture on the greatest practicable scale of synthetic oil and ot her subst it ute mat er ia Is and supplies so as to make I hi* Keich as nearly as possible independent of imports.

For what it is worth, German self-siifficiem-y is already being attacked and undermined in deadly fashion by the bombing squadrons of the Koval Air Force. That, and the failure thus far, with the nori hern summer waning apace, to direct an effective blitzkrieg against Britain are the commanding facts of tlw war al the stage to which il has been carried as it. enters upon a second year. There cannol lie any doubt that in their attacks on German oil plants and refineries, aircraft and other factories, aerodromes, land and waler transport, naval bases ami other targets, the British bombers are progressively and with increasing effect as time goes on mil ting down the lighting power of tin 1 Nazi dictatorship. How far and how long the process must lie ea rried re ma ins to he seen, hut that il, is being continued with increasingly destructive effect is well established. Meantime Britain is formidably st rengt hening her own defences, retains an unimpaired command of the sea and is rapidly building up offensive forces which at the right time will second and supplement the unrelenting' and magnificent work of her bombing squadrons. In themselves and as they bear on possible developments elsewhere, the commanding' facts of the war in Western Europe evidently are of highly encouraging import.