The Waikato Times TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1940 GERMANY’S WARNING

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21196, 20 August 1940, Page 4

The Waikato Times TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1940 GERMANY’S WARNING

Just as surely as though she had announced the fact in so many words, Germany has intimated to the world at large that she is not certain of being able to subdue Britain quickly by direct attack. All neutral countries excepting the United States and Argentina have been requested by Notes from Berlin to forbid their ships to enter the war zone and informed that every ship in that zone will be attacked without exception. The High Command will “use all the means at its disposal for enforcing the total blockade of England.” In view of the fact that Germany has already sunk 736,162 tons of neutral shipping and has for months been using every means at its disposal towards that end, this renewed threat is not likely unduly to disturb Britain and the neutral States which have been using the protection of the British convoys. If Germany were as confident as she alleges that Britain is going down before the blitzkrieg, Hitler would scarcely worry about a long-drawn-out blockade and counter-blockade. He has been attempting the lightning method by sending over wave after wave of bombers and fighters, and it is a reasonable assumption that the reception given his air force and the refusal of Britain to be panicked have caused Hitler to realise that he has a long and stern task ahead. He may be determined simply to leave nothing to chance, but he is clearly contemplating the possibility of having to continue the struggle indefinitely. That at least is an admission by the haughty dictator who has not previously had his plans thwarted or even delayed. The German announcement does not necessarily mean that the methods employed in the counter-blockade will be any more ruthless or any more effective than they have been in the past. Germany has never withheld her hand out of consideration for the neutral countries. She has employed every stratagem and all her strength to starve Britain into submission, and has failed. Because she knows she cannot defeat the convoys, however, she is again resorting to cunning, hoping that by renewing the threat she will intimidate neutral shipping and cause its withdrawal from the British trade. As Mr Duff Cooper said, Germany is hoping that words of warning will succeed where even her most violent deeds have failed. Another point that should not be missed is that a very large proportion of what formerly was neutral shipping is now in the service of Britain. Ten million tons of shipping which Germany might previously have hoped to intimidate while it was under the flags of the neutrals is now under British control. American ships have long since been withdrawn from the danger zone in order to prevent complications, so that strictly neutral shipping now trading to Britain is no longer of major concern. Thus Germany’s warning falls flat. The Nazis may seek to invent new forms of frightfulness, but they can scarcely go further than sinking all ships on sight without regard for the safety of lives, which they have been doing ever since the war began.