Though during the past week the slow tempo of the war has been maintained there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the time for acceleration is not far distant, and that the world may see significant deve-Jopments in the comparatively near future. Tt was a week of speech-making. M. Molotov indulged in a regular tirade against what he described as the capitalistic Powers, in which category the manifesto issued by the Third Internationale did not fail to place Germany. Lord Halifax restated the aims of the Allies in this present war, cmphasiz~ ing that they were fighting to maintain the rule of law and the quality of mercy in civilized states, while Herr Hitler delivered himself of the usual type of bombast to which the world has long been accustomed, concentrating on a savage attack on Great Britain and carefully leaving France alone, 'a clumsy, unconvincing endeavour to persuade France that the German Codlin,"and not the British Short is really France's best friend. That the latler country is somewhat sceptical about it all is quite understandable, for making every allowance for his vehem= ence, the fact still remains that Herr Hitler's actions speak much louder than his yards. The two outstanding features of the Wweek were the offer by Belgium and Holland of their good services in an endeavour to bring a quick peace to Europe, and the alleged attempt to bomb Herr Hitler in the course of the celebration of the anniversary of the Munich putsch, held in the famous beer-hall, which was wrecked as the result of the explosion. With regard to the move of the Belgian and Netherlands' rulers that was turned down by Herr Hitler with the statement that he had ordered Field-Marshal Goering to prepare for a five-year war, a clear abandonment of the idea that the proposed Blitzkrieg could ever be carried out against the western Powers, and a public admission to the German people that the war which he had promised they should never encounter, is now on. The Blitzkrieg succeeded against Poland, but where the schemes of the German leader failed was in the fact that neither Great Britain nor France came up to expectations, and refused to accept the fait accompli with which he sought to present them. It is that failure which has rendered Der Fuehrer so desperate, and it is because of that desperation that new developments in the war situation may be expected to occur with greater rapid= ity than in the past.
That is chiefly because with the failure of the original policy, and despite all Herr Hit Jer has to say about Germany contemplating a five-year war, it is still imperative that he should bring it to a conclusion within six months, for the economic position of Germany is very definitely such as not to permit of the long struggle which Britain and France are perfectly willing to face. Holland, and probably Belgium are now faced with the probability of their neutrality being imperilled by German action. The concentration of German forces from Aachen to the mouth of the Elbe significantly suggests that the time is not far distant when, in order to get closer to Great Britain, for the purpose of embarking upon aerial warfare against her, the German forces will invade Holland for sure, and probably Bel~ sium as well. The establishment of air, and suBmarine bases along the coasts of these neutrals would give Germany an advantage which she does not at present possess, and there can be little doubt, judging from all that has happened in the past, Herr Hitler will feel no restraint because Of the assurances he has given with respect to those two countries. That Holland fears such a development is clear from her decision to extend the flooding of certain portions of the country, a grave decision to make in times of peace, and only really justified by suspicion amounting to conviction that an onslaught upon her is at hand. Large areas of land thus inundated with sea water will remain Sterile for practically a generation, and of poor productive worth for a very much Jonger time. The occupation of the Netherlands' coast need not create any degree of dismay amongst the Allies. Whatever acrodromes might be established will be just os accessible to British aeroplanes as British airfields would be from Holland, and it is not to be believed that the Germans would be permitted to establish air bases along the coast without receiving very considerable hindrance from the British air force. It is tragic from the Hollanders' point of view that their country, and the air above it may in this war serve as the cockpit of Europe, a role which Belgium has so often sustained.
The alleged attempt to bomb Herr Hitler at Munich was the second outstanding feature of the week. The circumstances are, to say the least, peculiar. It was at first de~ cided that Herr Hess should make the big speech of the occasion. The eleventh hour, the morning of the day on which the speech was to be made, saw a change in arrangements, and Herr Hitler took his place. He arrived at the beer-hall carlier than was his usual wont, spoke at least half an hour early than ordinarily' was the case, shortened his speech by half-an-hour, and instead of remaining afterwards to' spend the evening with his veterans as he has always done before, immediately left the building to return to Berlin. Some twenty minutes after he left the explosion, probably of a time-bomb, took place. Eight persons were killed, and a number injured. It was immediately given out that the outrage was (he work of agents of" the Brilish secret service operating, possibly, through a Jew, a story which the world at large has received with very considerable scepticism, if not downright disbelief.. There are two possibilities in connection with the incident which appear far more likely, for Britain has not yet had occasion to resort to murder for political ends. Either the attempt was made by Germans bitterly opposed to the present regime, and there is not that sweet unanimity in Germany which the ruler would have the world believe, or it was a coup de thédtre designed on the one hand to place Der Fuchrer in the light of a martyr' and on the other to afford an excuse for another purge of the party of those Nazis who cannot easily stomach the reorientation of the Nazi policy to friendship with Bolshevism, Why it should be necessary to provide excusses for another purge it is somewhat dificult to see, for when it has come to the assassination of his associates Herr Hitler has not in the past shown any signs of trepidation. The more reasonable conclusion to be drawn is either that this outrage was the work of Germans opposed to him and all he stands for, or what is more likely from the evidence available that it was a propaganda stunt in which a number of Nazis were sacrificed for the purpose of presenting Der Fuehrer in the light of a man persecuted bby his political opponents. If it is believed, as it readily can be, that while he was speak ing Herr Hitler knew of the time-bomb above his head, and arranged to leave before it went off, there is plenty of evidence to justify it.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.