The possibility of a German invasion of /Holland has brought to the fore the question of the {fate of the Netherlands East Indies, and already some concern is being expressed" officially in japan regarding that territory. The fact of the invasion of Holland need not affect the status of the Netherlands East Indies provided there is displayed an ordinary degree of good faith all round, for those colonies should be able to maintain their integrity unmolested by any other nation. As the Allies are fighting for the democracies and for the defeat of Germany, their intention is that, no matter what might happen before final victory is secured, the possessions of the neutrals shall remain intact, and.be restored to them. There is consequently no desire on their part to take advantage of the predicament. in which Holland may find itself One of the theories of warfare now being a4 trained and equipped over a million men, put seriously to the test since the intensification lof the hostilities and their extension to, Nor= wegian waters is the affect of air attacks on warships. For years supporters of the theory lof serial supremacy in relation to the navy Ihave maintained that aviation developments have been so extensive as to oulmode the usefulness lof a navy, and that the era of naval power has fended, surrendering to the more mobile, cheaper and more effective weapon represented by the bomb carried by the aeroplane. Field [Marshal Goering was one of the fiercest of the prophets, and claimed that Britain's control of the sea "was at an end and no country now should fear attack from the sea, An overwhelm ing superiority was accorded to the aeroplane land centuries of strategy and experience [gained from the importance of sea power were thrown to the winds figuratively speaking. Of course, nothing of the kind has happened. In Jmanoeuyres and experiments, in the Spanish war and in the present war the air forces of Jeach side have done tremendous raiding work fon naval units, and although in some cases large damage has been done, the results are nothing like what the prophets of alr ascend-laney over naval power predicted, For harrying purposes, the aeroplane is an admirable weapon Jand the raids on British and German naval bases and activities in the Norwegian fiords Ihave proved this and nothing more. Naval Jpower is still supreme and will continue to be supreme for there are so many elements in ils favour. Attacks on Isolated trawlers have been [successful but when it comes to convoys and a Jconcentration of strength the results have been [fruitless.. While British air power has achieved signal success in other fields, the German navy serves to draw attention to the great effort which ig being made, With the change over from voluntary recruitment to conscription just before the war commenced Britain was faced with the enormous ask of dealing with the large numbers of mon which have since been called up. The work has been done admirably, fand within a few days after the outbreak of war the British expeditionary force was being {ransported to France in a method which admirable tribute to the efficiency of those 'oMfcers responsible for so large an undertaking. 'The fact that it was done without ess, and that additional. bodies of British troops' have been sent overseas to other places besides France, together with the despatch of forces Jaid of Norway, clearly demonstrates the com~ mand of the seas which the Allies have main {tained ever since the commencement hostilities. When it s remembered that during the last war the British Empire mobilized no fewer than 8,904,000 men it is apparent that the imperial resources In man-power are indeed a-very long way from exhaustion. To train and equip such large numbers was of necessity a matter of time, but the rate at which the same process is being carried through now ig Fauch faster than was the ease a quarter century ago, and there is every reason to expec {that in the not too distant future no fewer than. ye million men will be available to, proceed whatever theatres: of war future develop~ ments may bring into being. In this, connection should be remembered that Germany has reached the peak of her man-power' recruit ment, while Great Britain possesses reserver which should in the Jong run have a profound effect upon the outcome of the war,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.