June 24.
The comparative inactivity 6t the German. air force over Great Britain during the last six weeks now stands fully explained by Hiller's crowning act of treachery—undeclarfed war upon Soviet Russia. Large German forces were concentrating for this big move ment, and in their support the greater portion of.the Luftwaffe is to be used. What Hitler contemplates isa" Blitzkrieg against the Soviet which he apparently hopes to complete in the remaining few weeks before the autumn rains reduce the hard plains of western Russia to areas completely unsuitable for mechanized warfare. It is the desperate bid of a desperate man for he is throwing hhis all into a struggle for the raw materials of Russia without which he cannot hope to ght the long war which Britain always promised him, and which he now fully realizes he has to face. Hitler's explanations as to why he decided to attack Russia, the weal, absurd attempts at justification will deceive ='no one, It is to be doubted if he ever thought they would, though probably he hopes they will be convincing enough to persuade the German people to accept this latest exten sion of the war with*some degree of com-
It is early yet to endeavour to figure out how the German plans are likely to develop. The most obvious courses which the German high command may be expected to adopt seem to be a move round the Black Sea to the Caucasus for the oilfields there, a drive through the centre towards Moscow, and third one northwards along the shores of the Baltic Sea with the idea of wresting control "of the stretch of water from Stalin who so neatly secured it in his movements last year. Turning from what may be only local aspects of the now struggle the conclusion to be drawn 4s that Hiller also seeks to break British communications with the Far East by land,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.