Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY. MAY 15. 1941. LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 May 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY. MAY 15. 1941. LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS.

JNTEKEHT on Hie whole is slack in the local body elections which are to take place on Saturday. On obviously reasonable grounds, a good many people would have preferred that the existing local bodies should have been continued in office for a lime. That there would have been nothing undemocratic in this course is best indicated in the manifest fact that in a good many places—the Wairarapa among them—the elections, now that they are about to take place, are in some danger of passing unnoticed, so far, at least, as a very substantial proportion of the electors are concerned.

The simple truth is that in these days of war. most people, with a reasonably full knowledge of what local bodies are doing and not doing, are content that a quiet and orderly routine should be pursued in the field of local governmenl and that policy changes and new developments of various kinds which normally would command support in greater or less degree should be allowed to stand over until quieter times return.

Much as opinion and sentiment run at present on these lines it is always desirable and in the interests of democratic rule that in any contested election the largest possible proportion of qualified electors should record their votes. Those who neglect, their electoral duty run the risk of encountering an unpleasant surprise when Hie polling results are announced. These elementary facts should be recognised and acted upon even by those who were and are of opinion that the elections were unnecessary and might very well have been postponed. It is the duty of all good citizens to record lheir votes and it is never •safe to neglect doing so.

ANOTHER NAZI DRIVE?

I)IXG to one of yesterday’s cablegrams, the Budapest

correspondent of the “New York Times,’’ Air Hay Brock', has been informed by German military authorities that the Nazi High Command will make its second spring offensive by way of Turkey into Iraq, across Syria, “aiming to seize Hie sources of British petroleum lhere and drive the British from North Africa between June 1 and .10.” Nazi propaganda methods being what they are. the fact that advance information of this programme has been conveyed so obligingly to Air Brock might be regarded as good evidence that no attempt will be made Io carry'out any programme of the kind. Apart, however, from the German predilection for a double bluff, it has to be noted that much recent German activity—notably the seizure of Greek islands along Hie Turkish coast —can hardly be regarded as anything else than preparation for continued and extended aggression.

The total situation in the Eastern Alediterranean region, including North Africa, must, present the Nazis with some rather perplexing problems. They have secured, at a cost, some undoubted advantages in occupying the whole of the Balkan Peninsula and islands directly menacing the Dardanelles and the Turkish Anatolian port of Smyrna. They may be the more inclined to attempt to turn these advantages to account since the prospects of the attack on Egypt by way of Libya can hardly be regarded as promising from their point of view. Active and successful patrolling is being maintained against the Axis forces at their point of maximum penetration, in the Solium area, and it is clear that there is a tremendous difference, between the defence of Tobruk by its present Australian garrison and its earlier defence by the Italian garrison from which it was wrested only a few months ago.

No doubt the existing state of affairs in Egypt would be altered considerably if the Germans were able to open a new drive from the north, by way of Turkey, Syria and Palestine. The undertaking involved, however, is one of considerable magnitude and in any conditions that seem likely io arise would entail, a difficult and more or loss precarious extension of land and air communications, with little enough prospect of supplementing them to any considerable extent by sea transport.

It seems at least doubtful whether Nazi Germany can afford to embark on such an undertaking' in view of the general trend of the war. Besides being in a position, with the conquest of East Africa virtually complei cd, to mass her forces more effectively in the Middle East, Britain is within measurable distance ol adding to the superior quality of her air force a numerical air superiority over Germany, she is fighting the Battle of the Atlantic in good heart. Hie spirit of her people is being demonstrated magnificently in their grim but undismayed endurance of the ordeal of German bombing, ami there is an assurance of a rapidly increasing How from Ibe United States of the “tools” lor which All 1 Churchill asked in order that Britain and her allies might finish Ihe job of overt hrowing' the Nazi regime. It is important, too, that some of‘these tools of war are to be conveyed to Egypt in American ships.

In all the circumstances, an attempted drive on Egypt from the north might very reasonably lie regarded by the Nazis as involving from lheir standpoint an exceedingly dangerous development of Hie war on two fronts. They may feel, however, that where the Eastern Mediterranean ;md Africa are concerned, they can even less afford to retreat than to go forward. If that is the conclusion they have reached, Turkey’s declared determination to defend her integrity and independence against any attempted aggression may be put speedily to the test.

If they are intenl on a .southern drive beyond the Balkans, ii is likely that Hie Germans will also' attempt Io gain possession ol Crete, now held by allied forces, including New Zealanders, with Major-General Ereyberg as‘commander-iii-cliief, and Cyprus. Comparatively liHle has been heard of lale about the last-mentioned island, but it is commandingly placed in the Northern Levant, opposite the coast ol Syria, and obviously would be of great strategic iniporlance in Hie event of a German penefralion ol A,uato]ia, or direct attack on or occupation of Syria.

Assuming that, the Germans mean Io extend lheir au'O'rt’ssion in the Eastern Alodilerranean. the first great question to he determined relates to Turkey’s intended policy in tlml event. Much must depend, no doubl, upon the amount of aid Turkov could obtain, from Britain and from I lie United Stales, should she decide to resisl a German attack.