If the report is true that all German ships at present lying in neutral ports have been Jordered to set out for Germany, the Allied eels should shortly be having a busy and, it to be hoped, proffable time, even though he order has been given to the German crews to scuttle their ships on sighting Allied war vessels, It has been proved possible to capture such ships by promptness of action, In con-ection with the Dusseldorf which hes passed through Panama Canal in charge of a prize crew. What is of greater Importance is that apparently in order to secure as many cargoes as possible Germany is prepared to risk the loss of @ large number of ships, which means that Whatever supplies may thus reach her ports will have been secured at a most prohibitive cost. In the decision may again be seen that same lack of confidence in ultimate victory which was demonstrated by the scutlling of the Admiral Graf Spee. Obviously it Herr Hitler were so completely: confident of victory as German spokesmen would have the world believe, it would pay to keep the ships in Ineutral' ports until the end of the war, when they could immediately be put back into service again, instead of running the grave risks of many' of them being destroyed for whatever leargoes the remainder might be able to get into Germany. The order seems, therefore, to be ithe result of counsels of desperation, for rather than see them pass Into the hands of {the Allies at the end of the war in reparation for the losses which are at present being Inflicted upon them, the Reich would prefer to see ils mercantile' marine sent to the bottom. Ht is quite understandable if there exists considerable doubt in Berlin as to the outcome of the war. If there is none, and the order has foe en given merely to secure extra supplies Jwhich may be brought in by such vessels as fe to escape the Allied blockade, then may pay very dearly for them, though here again such an order must reflect strangely upon the German claims of having plenty of supplies with which to prosecute this Help for Finland No news could be more welcome: than that Jcarried by Havas to the effect that the new year will see a flood of war material, and posbly even volunteers pouring into Finland to Hnelp_the courageous Finns stave off the threat lof "Bolshevism to western Furope. It is expected that not only will individual states inlerease their assistance to Finland, but will all united in closer collaboration with the common' [purpose of giving the Finnish armed forces the [greatest possible ald in the present. circum stances. In this connection it. is stated that [Franco-British assistance will be—forth-looming on a vastly greater scale than has hitherto been possible, the two placing large lorders for war material in Italy on Finland's foe halt. From Norway and Sweden assistance in the shape of volunteers, of whom some thou-Jsands have already been recruited in Sweden, [well as material will be forthcoming, and it is confidently expected that pro-Finnish co-opera tion amongst European States will become one Jot the great events of the coming year. In Jdetending herself, Finland Is defending western eivitization and religion. That point is made [quite clear in a loiter in today's correspondence Jcolumn, and in this connection it may be Placed on record that the local Finnish community is very touched by the practical demonstration of sympathy with them, and their country in the struggle which has been forced Jupon them, which has been given in response to the appeal on behalf of the Friends of Finland Fund. The gallant and successful ght which the Finns have put up until now in the defence lof their homes cannot fail to appeal to the Imfagination of all those by whom the things for which the Finns are Mghting are held so dear. There will probably oe many readers who remember one of the most famous cartoons in "Punch" during the last year, of brave little Belgium, a small lad armed with a stick, man-fea (Tes-ting-sing-chi-chow-kan °F $k HW 8h 70)
(Cuumvrse $18 Pen ANNUM, $1 PEN COPY fully standing up to a huge German bully, and denying him passage. The cartoon can with equal justice now be applied to Finland which has taken its courage in its hands and with a slent heart is meeting, and defeating an enemy which ordinarily speaking could have been expected to overwhelm it in short order. That has not proved to be the ease, and the probablllties are that, for the greater part, Fintand will be given a breathing space in which to prepa against the Russian onslaught directly the snows melt. It will not -be a blunder, but a crime, if the "European states: which are opposed Bolshevism do not sce that the Finns are as fully equipped, and assisted as is necessary to Jensure their success against aggression, and It is to be hoped that it will not only be star Dut also individuals who will " express their sympathy and support for Finland in the most Jeloquent' of terms, namely money, Indian Troops Arrive The arrival of Indian troops in France to take their part in the hostilities is but another example of the whole hearted manner in which the various Dominions have rallied to the call of Empire, and the spectacle of its sons hurrying from all corners of the world in its defence cannot fail to impress the world with the solid arity which was widely expressed right after the commencement of hostilities. Canadian, Australian and now Indian forces are arriving on the ceene of action. New Zealand will not be far behind. Canada and Australia will shortly be huge centres for the manufacture of munitions of war, and the Princes of India have stepped forward' on this occasion'
Ughtly, however much the Reich would like to do #0, They are manifestations that the decadence which men such as Herr Hitler professed to in the British Empire existed only in their own perfervid imaginations, The fact 1s that the Empire is being true to itself, and traditions upon which it is being based: It m be taken for granted that following the pre cedent of twenty-five years ago the Reich will seek to make much of the fact that coloured troops are being brought to Europe against them, But neither Great Britain nor France are impressed by the fictitious doctrine of Aryanism which forms so important a part of the Nazi doctrine. The German troops will find {in these coloured troops opponents well able to give a good account of themselves, and certainly able to induce considerable respect for their Aghting qualities. For the most part they come from proud Moslem races, born fighters, men of undeniable courage, and loyalty to the Crown, such a loyalty that their desire to ight ind fence of it cannot be lightly denied, and the Reich will have to learn as it learned more than two decades ago that: the twain. shall meet 'TIN East and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat:
rl er East nor West, Border, nor strong' men stand face to face, thou ith come from the ends of the Bard Those Arrivals The German Freedom Party, whose wireless has been giving the Reich authorities no small Jamount of (rouble since the commencement of the war, is In good form on the subject of the arrival of the Indian, Canadian and Australian Contingents In Europe, In a broadcast Thursday night the announcer described these arrivals as striking proof of Dr. Goebbels mendacity, in claiming control of the seas, The fact that these men have been transported long. distances and have arrived safely, completely proves that the German Navy is wholly unable {to prevent them, and the illicit broadcaster asks the pertinent question "Now Goebbels, who is it that rules the seven seas?" If it were possible for the head of the German Pro" agenda Ministry to feet any shame whatever, it would undoubtedly be because of the manner in Which German statements of this kind have 0 often been belied by actual facts, and as the "Paris Mich" writes "If mastery of the seas by the Allied fleets can still be contested, the successive landings of Canadian, Australian and Indian troops will clear all points. The transportation of these troops has been carried Out perfectly without any threat to their safety." Facts invariably speak louder than words, and any who might have been Impressed by the flamboyant claims of Dr. Goebbels must surely be asking themselves exactly what degree of trust can be placed in anything which he, or his Ministry issues, There are, of course, those who will still believe that perhaps after all these contingents have Rot arrived in Europe. That will be because they prefer to believe that to be the case. Another enemy view will undoubtedly be that after all the contingents are, ike the servant it's baby, only very ttle ones. They were originally in the last war, and those who cling to that sort of idea may in the event find themselves just as disagreeably surprised as were their predecessors twenty-Ave years ago. Then it will be remembered the British Empire placed 8,900,000 men in the eld, and there ts every reason to believe that it could, and would the same thing in this war, should it become necessary. 'These present arrivals are not the ]sum total of the Dominions' efforts, but merely ugurles for what is to come,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.