Oct.
The British Navy has issued a timely warning to the effect that the approach of autumn and winter docs not necessarily mean that the danger of Britain being invaded will disappear. The weather which has been fine for some time past is showing signs of breaks {ng up and the present opportunity of using flat-bottomed boats,—and it maybe added water walking troops!—is passing. But that not the end of the danger. Those who have lived for any length in the south of England will recall that, despite the cone sistently heavy weather which prevails for the greater part of the autumn and winter, there are days when the sea. is mirror-like in its smoothness. Those periods, fortunately do not last long and, though the enemy might take advantage of them, the task of maine taining and supplying their troops when they have landed, if they over do, will again. be: rendered difficult by the recurrence of dirty weather. "What is certain Is that during the coming months bad weather will prevail; and the enemy cannot expect to have halcyon days for any great length of time.
An important point is made in the statement of Rent the steady contin the French Channel correspondent that nee of preparations in ports is regarded as! another reason why be regarded as possibil They invasion must still
have been proceeding too consistently to be ded merely as an it diver objectives, and the fact, that those ports and others under German control have been persistently bombed, indicates full realization of the enemy's intention and the. British determination not to be misled. There are plenty of reports to hand to show that very serious damage has been done to the various concentration points from which is expected the Germans would set out on their attempt against Britain, and, while the destruction wrought may not have been sufficient to deter Hitler from making an effort, there is reason to believe thet it has had the effect of delaying his preparations.
One of the reasons why it may be expected that there will still be some time before an invasion is attempted, is to be found in the fact that owing to the policy of endeavouring (0 strike terror into the population of London the south and south-cast of England not received all the bombing atten ti necessary' to pave the way. The extensive: defence works which have been created during the last few months have not been attacked in any-great force, and it is interesting to note that despite German claims to the contrary the large number of air-fidds n the south and south-east have not been' rendered hors de combat. Part of the German scheme of endeavouring to drive British fighters and intercepters further land has completely failed up to the present with the result that there is nothing to: guarantee the enemy that it will have the necessary local superiority in the air which will be just as necessary for the invasion of Britain as it was for the evacuation of Dunkirk.
Thus while there are grounds for believing that Hitler may hold up his long expected invasion of Britain until the spring, it is apparent that the Navy is taking nothing for granted, and are determined not to relax their vigilance for one moment. It is clear' that Hitler would lose so much prestige if he failed to attempt an invasion thet one is to be expected sooner or later, and he will undoubtedly endeavour to import an element of surprise into his attack in order to give it the best chance of succeeding. A calm foggy day may give him his opportunity, but that fact is fully recognized by the defenders of Great Britain who would not hesitate to take advantage of the obscurity which would thus be afforded. But the enemy needs several such days in succession in order to throw sufficient troops into Britain to stand the slightest chance against the defensive might which is mustered there, and while the warning of the Navy is a timely' one and likely to inspire the greatest con-Adence in it, the fact still remains that a fairly tong period of calm is necessary, if Hitler is to have the slightest chance of even landing. That may come in St. Martin's Summer, beginning shortly before the Sun enters Scorpio, and that is towards the end of the present month,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.