The Waikato Times WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1940 BARRING ROAD TO THE EAST

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21215, 11 September 1940, Page 6

The Waikato Times WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1940 BARRING ROAD TO THE EAST

Field-Marshal Birdwood’s advice that Egypt should be made impregnable to bar the way to Italian and German aggression eastward apparently coincides with the policy of the British Army and Navy authorities. The day that Birdwood’s article appeared in an English paper the cables announced the arrival in Egypt of strong Army, Navy and Air Force reinforcements. Indeed it has all along the line been Britain’s declared policy to hold Egypt at all costs, and that is the obvious thing to do. Other areas in the Middle East have been yielded to the enemy because they were not so important strategically and because they were made difficult and costly to hold because of the unexpected defection of France, to which had been allotted a very substantial share of the responsibility of defence.

News of the arrival of fresh powez'ful forces in Egypt has been received with gratitude throughout the Empire, and particularly in New Zealand and Australia, whose men are stationed in Egypt. The new arrivals.'come from England, Rhodesia, India and Australia, so that the army and the air force guarding this vital point in the East have a distinctly Empire flavour. It is a tribute to the Navy that on the voyage through the Mediterranean no submarine or other enemy naval vessel was sighted. With its aerial scouts Italy must have been aware of the presence of the convoy. No more valuable target was ever offered to an enemy, and yet the Italian Navy dared not attack. This was convincing proof of Mussolini’s sense of inferiority as far as sea power is concerned.

Field-Marshal Birdwood’s summing up of the position in the East is interesting. “ Hitler’s diplomatic chess game in the Balkans,” he says, “ is simply clearing one or two roads which might take him to India and the Middle East—Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, the Dardanelles, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, Persia and the North-West Frontier. If it is possible to dominate Greece, with Albania already in the bag, the way will be cleared for a smash against Turkey. It is a long and perilous road to India, but it can be done. Further, it is spangled with rich prizes in the way of oil and raw materials.” Thus Birdwood connects the sequence of events of the past year and more to show that Egypt must be made the bar to the enemy’s progress eastward on long-planned lines.

Fortunately, British strategists are wide awake to the danger. Egypt is consequently becoming at least the second most important focal point in the widely spread conflict. Italy had hoped that Germany would quickly break down British resistance and thus open to Mussolini an alluring prospect of a new empire in the East gained at little cost. But that dream is fading and Mussolini is beginning to realise that he will have to fight for anything he would gain. The time may come when Mussolini will appeal to Germany for assistance and Germany will send men and materials to the East. That can scarcely be done yet, but if the time comes, that may be the day when Britain wiil decide upon the offensive for which she is preparing and which will eventually win the war.