Looking back over old files it is interesting to recall some of the radio propaganda with which the Axis Powers and their friends sought to amuse the world. A year ago the Battle of Britain was in full swing and the R.A.F. were taking a heavy toll of the Luftgaffe before that German arm had to.admit defeat and cease daylight attacks on Great Britain. Yet Radio Valladolid declared that the final attack on Britain was at hand. The Italian African campaign, and the raids on Britain were, it declared, part of one huge plan, and everything went to show that the attack would be launched on September 15. The plan was to, make a path across the Channel by air, submarines, small speedboats and tank-carrying rafts fitted with air-raft engines. That invasion has not yet been attempted and it is over a year since that broadcast was made. It is noteworthy that at this period a year ago the Germans made no claim of having obtained the essen-air supremacy over Britain but Air-General Quade was promising his hearers that "It (the Luftwaffe) will also master the last and greatest task." William Shirer an American broadcasting reporter speaking Írom Berlin said that most of the ordinary Germans hoped that the war would be over before the winter. "German people" he said, "realize that they have now no chance of compromise. As for the Germans who are doing the fighting, sailors and airmen are dead certain that the war will end before very long" A French commentator just about {he same time speaking over Radio Lyons said "Britain proceeds towards the total destruction of her air force, which should be a fait accompli within a year." little to say to heir own people sbout the Both Berlin and Rome had comparatively
transfer of the fifty U.S, destroyers to Great Britain. It was an uncomfortable fact which it was as well to keep away from domestic ears. To the outside world the German cormentators chose to adopt a scornful toi leging that the whole transaction was 4-8
Yon to hold out longer a "terrible piece of military ignorance." Rome declared that the Italian populátion knows that the total defeat of Britain is "only a matter of a few days now." Berlin boasted "Gigantic air battles have occurred almost daily. But these batties are not fought over Germany or France, or elsewhere on the Continent, but in the air over the British Isles.... The Churchill lines have begun to sway even before a German soldier has set foot on the soil of the British island.
British Somaliland had been evacuated by the British yielding before numerical superiority. General Bellati, an Italian commentator expressed the opinion that the strategical importance of this Italian "conquest" was in the removal of the continuous British threat to Ethiopia, while Radio Rome boasted "The Italians have not allowed the British to curry off even a handful of soil from Somaliland, which will remain forever Italian territory." In passing it might aptly be remarked íhat the Italian "forever" appears now to have been a very short time indeed. In contrast to all this vainglorious boasting Britain was taking her reverses in her stride, confident that they would not be ihe last word in this struggle. Huge preparations were being made for home defence, while what reinforcements which could then be spared were sent to Africa. The time was fast approaching when the Italians would feel the quality of the British army, and within a few months the Italian armies in north Africa and Abysinnia were to be troyed by very numerically inferiór British troops.
The expectation that the British air force would come to an end was not fulfilled. Instead the R.A.F. daily carries the war over Occupied France and well into Germany. Berlin has had a taste of the bombing which was inflicted upon London. Other German cities have been, like Hamburg reduced to a shambles of ruin. The war industrial potential of western Germany has been seriously damaged, and the H.A. is stronger now than it has ever been before, and well on the way to be becoming a greater air force than the German. So much for the radio commentators of a year ago. It is as well to remember these boasts, and keep them.Án mind when listening to, or reading the vainglorious claims of which the enemy continue 10 make. If they could possibly be believed the war has already been won. That they have had successes, no one would be so foolish as to deny; but they will ultimately be roughly amakenet to the fact that, so far as Britain, and her Allies are concerned, this war is still in its early stages, and that it will be con-rined, no matter how long, until victory crowns their arms. It will be interesting then to learn how these enemy propagandists will explain away their thousands of lies. Their defeat will be probably accounted for as the result of some new perfidy of the Jews, though if the Laplanders core in for blame this time, it will not be surprising.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.