Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1941. MIDDLE EAST PORTENTS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 September 1941, Page 4

Wairarapa Times-Age MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1941. MIDDLE EAST PORTENTS.

ACCORDING to a cablegram received on ►Saturday, the belief is growing in well-iniormed circles in .London that the time is approaching when the British forces in the Western Desert will again be engaged heavily by the Germans ami .Italians. On some apparently good grounds—particularly Ihe sustained and successful attacks that are being made by the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm, am! by British submarines* on the enemy land and sea communications in and with Libya and on ports, aerodromes and oilier bases— it might be supposed that the hoot is on the other loot, hinder British air and sea attacks, which have been intensified notably in the last few weeks, an appreciable proportion of (he total shipping available Io the Axis Powers in the Mediterranean has been destroyed and the ports oC Tripoli and Benghazi have been so bombed and devastated that their usefulness must have been very much impaired. Since neither Britain nor the Nazi dictatorship is likely to make any premature disclosure of its war plans, most of what is now being said about prospective developments in the Western Desert and elsewhere in the Middle Eastj is speculative. The destructive harrying of the Axis communications with Libya and of bases in that territory is, however, an established and important fact. At the same time, more or less powerful Axis forces are still in position on the western frontier of Egypt, though with the fortress of Tobruk well and (irmly held in their rear, and (he possibility of simultaneous and coordinated attacks f on the Allies in the Middle East from the Western Desert and hy way of Turkey evidently cannot be dismissed. It does not exhaust the possibilities of the situation, however, that action on these lines may be contemplated by the Axis. With specific indications of the military plans ol Britain and her Allies, in the Middle East or elsewhere, naturally and of necessity withheld, it is 'worth while to recall a very brief statement made by General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson after the initialling of armistice terms in Syria. The negotiations in which we have been engaged (General Wilson observed) should ensure for us a bulwark of defence against the Germans and a well-placed position from which to deal with them. These words appear to hint at a turn from the defensive to the offensive in the Middle East and it of course has its bearing on the outlook that the occupation of Syria has been followed by the strategic occupation of Iran. Now that British and Russian forces are in touch in Iran, the possibilities of offensive action in or from the Middle East are to some extent enlarged. The Allies no doubt are laying their plans to deal with any attorn])! by the enemy to drive through to the oilfields of the Middle East, but there are in addition other possibilities. it seems reasonably safe to conclude that Britain in the near future will seek in one way or another to engage a substantial section of the German land forces and so to afford some relief to Russia, against whom the main weight of these forces has been cast during the last three months. Declaring, recently, that nothing could bo more fallacious or dangerous than the idea that it could bo left to Russia Io win a victory over the German Army, the well-known American columnist, Afr Raymond Clapper, added : — It is reported that the Soviet Premier. M. Stalin, has already put Britain and the United States on notice that he expects them to maintain another fighting front to assist the Russian front. Where that front should be must remain a military matter, but it is believed that' M. Stalin has asked for more than British bombing raids on Germany or coastal raids on the Continent. It is believed that he has asked for a real offensive effort that would engage a material portion of the German Army strength, so that the major campaign on the Eastern front might not be too costly. Whatever the authenticity of the report to which Mr Clapper referred, it is not in doubt that it is incumbent on Britain to do everything that is reasonably in her power to second and supplement the magnificent effort that is bping made by Russia. The Middle East is one of a number of areas in 'which it. seems very likely that action based on. a recognition of that fact may be taken.