The past week has been a comparatively uneventful one so far as the war between the Allies and Germany is concerned, and that strange inaction which has been noticed since the outbreak of hostilities has with very slight exceptions been maintained. It is unlikely that there will be any major developments on the western front until the spring, and, while Germany maintains certain amount of activity by submarine and aeroplane, nothing has occurred from a strategic point of view which would have any particular bearing on the outcome of the struggle. Those who contend that -both sides are "pulling their' punches" "are regarding this war in the light of the last, whereas it is becoming. increasingly plain that a very different set of criteria are com-Ing into operation, Those, who criticize the apparent inactivity of the Allied. air. arm, must remember that raids on German naval stations to be successful necessitate flying low enough to be reasonably sure of hitting bombing targets. To do this the element of surprise must to avery. great extent be Gepended upon, so that if such raids occur with too great a frequency. the surprise factor disappears and the raids lose much of their efficiency. 'That consideration Operates just as effectively from the German point of view, and the fact that attempts fare not made' oftener than they are upon British naval stations may be attributed greatly to that fact. The German war against Allied and neutral shipping is pro-secured with considerable energy, but the results obtained so far are in no way comparable with those which the "Germans secured in the last war, and the claim that the submarine menace' is now well under control appears in the circumstances to be fully justified. In general the balance sheet may still be regarded as favouring. the Allies, for the economic blockade {s in full operation with the time factor completely in favour of the Allies in whatever aspect it is viewed.
'Thus while this particular aspect of European affairs may' seem uninteresting, the same cannot be said about the other struggle Which is going on between Finland and Soviet Russia. It is an established fact that the Finns have offered a surprising resist ance to Soviet onslaughts, and despite the overwhelming superiority in men' and material which the Soviet undoubtedly possesses, all possibility of a Bltzkrieg,—that {gnis fatius which still attracts some Eucopean schools of thought,—has been. transformed by Finnish resistance into less of a one-sided struggle, and the fact that Moszow @eems it necessary. further to reinforce its armies seeking to penetrate into Finland is ample proof of the manner in which the are meeting and holding the invader the south-cast of the Karelian Peninsula the Russians appear fo have made very little headway, possibly because of the greater endeavours being made further north to strike across the "wasp-waist" of Finland to reach the Baltic either in the neighbourhood of Uleaborg or Tornea. Even there the Finns have held their enemy and it is being borne in upon Moscow that the utilization of greater forces alone offers a chance of reducing the Finnish opposition. The Finns also still hold Petsamo, and while the port may not be of much value to them as means of communication with the outer world, because of the Russian blockade, the fact that the Finns were able to recapture from the Russians speaks volumes. for their own bravery and endurance, while simultaneously raising doubts in the minds fof many observers. whether the Russian military machine after' all is quite the efficient weapon which the Kremlin has cor fidently claimed it to be. In this connection it needs to be remembered that the opposing forces are both accustomed to the rigorous climatic conditions which they are experienc ing and that the Finns thereby derive no especial advantage, and, while the lakes and forests do serve as natural strengthening of artificial defences, they in turn present nothing to which the Russian forces should not be used It may be taken for granted, therefore, that the issue is between a highly efficient. but small nation, and a much larger one whose army may prove in the ultimate result. to be not quite of the high quality which has been claimed for it. That that might place the successes of the Soviet army in Nomanhan and Changkufeng, this year and last, in an entirely different light is entirely beside the point. The fact is that the Soviet is not receiving that walk-over which it confidently expected it would have.
The appeal of Finland to the League of Nations has already been described as a per~ fectly proper one in the circumstances, but it is doubtful in the extreme what particular benefit it will be possible to derive from it. Theoretically there should be no. diMieully securing that condemnation of Soviet Russia which its conduct undoubtedly deserves, and in principle that should be forthcoming. But the nearer some of the eounties, members of the League, are to Ger many and Russia, the less enthusiasm is there amongst them for resort to the final decisions of the League, To secure the passage of a resolution of condemnation or expulsion from the League it will be necessary to obtain a. unanimous vote. Great
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.