FITTING CLIMAX

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1941, Page 5

FITTING CLIMAX

TO AN INSPIRING WEEK GRATITUDE IN BRITAIN. SUCCESSES ON LAND AND SEA. (Ey Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) RUGBY, March 30. That yesterday’s news of the sound drubbing- of the Italian fleet by British navid and Fleet Air Arm and R.A.F. units provided a. fitting climax to an inspiring week is the opinion of the British public voiced by the entire Press. The record of events since the King and Queen lakt S,unday led the people in a national day of prayer is regarded as encouraging in the extreme, especially at the moment when the population is bracing itself to meet and defeat whatever onslaught Hitler may have planned for the summer months.

Following closely on the overthrow of the Yugoslav Government and “the finding of its soul” by the country came the news of the capture of two strongholds in Mussolini’s African empire— Keren in Eritrea and Harar in Abyssinia. At home British civilians have had a long respite from wanton, useless attacks by the Luftwaffe, while it is also pointed out that the weather in the Channel has not been favourable to any invasion attempt and has thus enabled Britain's forces to become even readier than before to meet such an attempt should it in fact be contemplated. From the events of a week or such good cheer the “Sunday Times" singles out the African triumphs as underlining the cleanness and certainty of execution which has marked every British operation in Africa. “In Libya in Somaliland, in Abyssinia and in Eritrea. General Wavell has committed the immediate conduct of operations to a variety of subordinate generals and troops. One spirit of efficiency seems to pervade them all and successive moves are carried out as by clockwork.”

The “Sunday Times" adds: “There seems no reason to suppose that this kind of efficiency is confined within the army to ‘Wavell’s men.' We believe rather that we are witnessing the outcome of the leaven that has been working among our younger officers over since the last war.”