PRESENT MONTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 September 1940, Page 5

PRESENT MONTH

MOST CRITICAL PERIOD OF WAR ACCORDING TO BRITISH AUTHORITIES. PROBLEM OF NIGHT BOMBING. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 9. The present month is regarded in informed quarters as probably the most critical period of the war. Having suffered considerable losses in daylight air attacks, the Nazis now appear to be concentrating on night bombings, especially on London, and are carrying out these operations with a much smaller number of aeroplanes, and, of course, with a far higher degree of immunity. The attacks of the last two nights were probably assisted by the only successful day attack—that of Saturday afternoon —which the German Air Force has yet made, and then only at very great loss. London, however, as well as other centres of highly concentrated population,- must face the certainty of a continuation 1 of night bombing. It is pointed out that the problem of interception of night bombers is noil yet solved, though British experts are hopeful of, reaching a satisfactory answer. Meanwhile, it is stressed that an efficient blackout is the best defence. Taking last night’s raids as an example, authoritative circles explain the difficulties which were encountered, both by the interceptor and the ground defence. As far as the interceptors are concerned their task of finding an opponent, flying in darkness at 300 miles an hour is obviously very difficult. A London commentator today remarked: “There is a pretty widespread feeling that Hitler must smash us in the next three weeks or so or be smashed by us next year or the year after.” i CIVILIAN MORALE SUPREMELY IMPORTANT FACTOR. NEUTRALS PRAISE SPIRIT OF BRITISH PEOPLE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, September 9. The opinion was expressed in informed circles today that till a means of dealing adequately with night-bombing had been evolved — the problem is occupying the close attention both of the British and the German experts—civilian morale was the most important single factor in the war today, j Judgment even by neutral journalists of the German morale is difficult and perhaps impossible to obtain; the spite of the cruel Gestapo effectively prevents its expression. In Britain very different conditions have prevailed. Freely are views propounded, and the reaction to recent experiences is easy to assess. Consequently the views of neutral observers in London afford valuable evidence of how the ordinary “man in the street” is standing up to the aerial attack, and they are a valuable guide in estimating how the battle for world freedom is progressing. Such observers obtain the free opinion of a free people, and a broadcast yesterday by an American journalist, Mr John Macdane is of interest and importance. “It was,” Mr Macdane said, “pretty unpleasant during the second raid, because everyone felt they were right on the target. But during it all ambulances and trucks kept on rolling up to shelters, taking aboard 20 or 30 women and children and rolling away again with them. The spirit of the people was nothing short of wonderful. People who had lost their homes and relatives weren’t happy, but I saw hundreds of women and not one crying. “One policeman looked at lines of homeless people, and then he spat disgustedly and said, ‘To think we give those Nazi airmen tea when they land here!’ “The wife of a pub-keeper who had a pub not more than three or four hundred yards from the docks said, ‘I was going to celebrate our fortyfirst wedding anniversary tonight, and my old man was going to take me out to supper. I guess I’ll have to celebrate here.’ Then she laughed and called for a round of drinks for her customers.” ! MOBILE CANTEENS AMERICAN RED CROSS GIFTS TO BRITAIN. WASHINGTON, September 9. The Red Cross has ordered the immediate purchase in London of 12 mobile canteens, each composed of eight vehicles, at a total cost of 65,000 dollars. These could be used to rush hot foods to bombed areas. Since May the Red Cross has sent to England 151 ambulances, 5.000,000 surgical dressings, 2,138,000 dollars’ worth of medicines, thousands of pounds weight of canned and dried foods, and 470.000 pieces of clothing.