German aeroplanes are now not only breaching Belgium's neutrality but are shooting down Belgian machines sent up to warn them of their wrongdoing. It is the old story of ruthless aggression, carried out with -that disregard for international law which so far as Germany is concerned has become nothing but a mere common place. Belgium will again protest. Germany will return some perfunctory answer, but nevertheless will continue to infringe Belgian rights, alleging at the same time that its neutrality is being disregarded by the British. The recurrence of the usual complaints against the Lowlands on the score of alleged breaches of neutrality, the warming up of anti-British sentiment in the very obedient German press, and the suggestion again that the Netherlands and Belgium are on the verge of being invaded, are all suggestive of the tactics of aborigines who have to work themselves into a perfect frenzy before embarking upon some particularly evil undertaking. The chances of a German invasion of the Lowlands can never at any time be taken lightly, for the Reich is going to be restrained by no qualms about propriety of conduct in its dealings with small neutrals, while the territories of the countries threatened would provide air bases closer to Britain at which Herr Hitler so dearly wishes to strike a blow. The lessons of the campaign in Finland clearly teach that any offensive against the Allies in their powerful defences must take just the same. turning movement as the Russians employed against the Finns in the first line of the Mannerheim defences. By concentration on the western end of the line, where the Finns were ultimately forced back it was possible to turn the whole line and bring about retreat to new positions. It is alleged that German experts despatched to assist the Russian high command adopted this means as the only method of reducing the powerful defence which the Finns had built, and it may be assumed that when the time comes for the long expected offensive on the western front, similar tactics will be resorted to. The mentality of the Reich, which completely fails to think up anything new, is following well-known lines. There is steadily accumulating the old tissue of fictitious complaints against the neü- trols they contemplate invading, in an hysterical attempt to justify to themselves their own- evil actions. They realize full well that they do not convince the impartial observers of the world, and obviously care little whether they do or not. What they obviously wish to do is to present their own people with some sort of justi cation for what they apparently contemplate. Hence these allegations of Allied breaches of the Lowland's neutrality. This may be expected to intensify as the spring approaches and the time for an offensive becomes nearer, and while there are those who hold to the view that the Germans will not assume the offensive this year, it has to be remembered that the German command insist that the war can only be won by a military decision, and are anxious to put their theories to the test. The Germans have lost so many opportunities during the past six months to engage upon their much-vaunted blitzkrieg, that there can no longer be any] surprise about it. The Allies have had half a year in which to prepare and may confidently be expected to give a good account of themselves when Germany decides to force the issue on the western front. a
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.