Aug.
The claim which has been made by the enemy that the onslaught upon Great Britain has been going on for the past six weeks is probably true, and what the world is seeing now isan intensification of air activity on both sides, by the Germans in order to pave the way for the long-talked-about invasion, and by the British for the purpose of disrupting the enemy organization in the occupied territories and deep into Germany itself. Thus Sunday, the twenty-sixth anniversary of the commencement of the last war, saw increased activity on both sides, and it should occasion no surprise if in the course of the next few weeks the fury of the struggle in~ creases in an enormous crescendo, Tt has all along been a part of the German contention that the British air arm has been attacking non-military objectives on the Continent, obviously an attempt at preliminary justification of what the Germans themselves con template and are In fact doing. There is all the evidence necessary to show that while the German airmen do attack military objec~ tives in Britain, they are not doing so ex~ clusively, and the fact that they are striking as far west as Wales, where so many children have been sent from' the evacuated areas, and the additional fact that they are not con~ centrating their energies against proper Jectives, suggests that the transference of the youngsters to Wales and the west of England has given the enemy the usual evil inspiration. It has to be emphasized that the Germans are dropping their bombs completely. regardless of the targets they try to strike, In the very earliest days of the war bombs were dropped on the Orkneys well away from any military or naval objective, causing the first civilian casualty. On Sun= day one German raider is reported to have Avopped bombs on farms in south-east Scot~ Jand, fortunately doing little damage. On Saturday another enemy machine dropped missiles in Scotland on open country, for what purpose it is more than a Tittle dimeult to understand. It fs to be expected that as! the struggle continues more and more of! this sort of practice will be resorted to, for the German high command still has enormous faith in the psychological value of the aeroplane as a means of spreading terror.
One of the most important points to be} noted in connection with this phase of the struggle is the frankness of the British official statements on these raids. For reasons which must be quite clear the various localities at~ tucked have not been stated, byt theca is attempt to hide the fact that the German. machines are doing damage, and are causing ensualties, There docs ut appear to be any attempt to minimize the damage which the enemy has inflicted, and it is to be believed that the British Government will continue to follow a policy which in the circumstances. is the only wise one, On the other hand it is impossible for the British Government to give detailed accounts of the destruction. which is being inflicted upon the Germans, especially in the north-west, the industrial centre from which so much war material is derived. But the evidence is slowly ac~ cumulating from other sources to show that the RAF, has been doing excellent work against the enemy, and inflicting harm upon him in a manner best calculated to hamper his preparations for the expected invasion of the British Isles. The RAP, has a much greater task than have the Germans. While the latter are able to concentrate on a comparatively small objective-—the British Isles, =the former have to maintain. unceasing vigilance over a coastline stretching from Spain in the south to the most northern part of Norway. Thousands of miles have to be constantly patrolled in order to ensure that the Germans shall not be able to effect a surprise concentration for an onslaught on Great Britain. In addition to this day and night air-raids are being conducted against the enemy wherever he may be found, and is clear that the RAF. has been putting in some very deadly waik, as witness the Jalest reports concerning. the state of Hamburg.
Tt would seem that in the circumstances Mr. Churchill's warning that Britons should not relax their vigilance was not wholly necessary. The Germans by increasing their ies ensure that the British troops and auxiliaries shall be always on the qui vive. Had there been a sudden lull, continued for some time, relaxation might have occurred, though the suspicions which would then be aroused might completely have offset that. On the other hand the Prime Minister may have been actuated by a desire to make sure that the stories said to have been put about by the enemy suggesting a change of plan would not ensure the atmosphere which it was apparently sought to create. That does not mean that the enemy has given up all idea of resorting to a blockade, if the long expected Blitzkrieg fails to materialize, or to obtain the expected results. The chances are that Hitler will override the advice which it is reported has been given him against the plans which he holds so dear, and endeavour by use of his air arm to bring about Britain's capitulation. The growing danger of famine striking the whole of Europe should force him in that direction, and it may that, when his Blitzkrieg has failed, he will endeavour to resort to that war of attrition of which the "Giornale d'Italia" so glibly speaks. But an air fore thoroughly well defeated in an attempt on Britain, is not likely to be of: much value in maintaining such a blockade, while the RAP, would be in a better position than even it is now to deal with such a menace. Yet before any such decision is reached the fact must be faced that Britons in the United Kingdom, and perhaps in Eire itself—for its neutrality will last just as long as Hitler derns fit—will have to pass through many anxious days and even weeks. Fortunately the moral of the people is good. 'They are determined to suffer all things un-tit victory is assured, and they realize that it is only by enduring to the bitter end that they will successfully emerge from their' troubles. Hitler may think that the last hour of act has arrived: the British are determined that as far as they are concerned this war is just about beginning.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.