The further crushing defeat administered to the Russian army at Soumussalmi, the biggest success which the Finns have achieved since the outbreak of hostilities, is an undeniable fact, for even the Leningrad command's headquarters admit in a communique that, as a result of the fighting, the Russian forces retired several kilometres west of Suomussalmi The Russian Ninth Army Corps, consisting of the 44th, 163rd, and 164th Divisions, has been practically annihilated in the course of three battles between December 24, and January 7 both west and east of the lake Kianta, from which it is to be concluded that the Russian attempt to drive a wedge across Finland to Uleaborg, and thus cut the country in half, has been disastrously defeated. Against this it is reported that the Soviet Government is prepared to amass an astonishingly large number of troops for the purpose of making another endeavour to break through, in order to wipe out the damage to Soviet prestige which this new defeat means for them. There are reports that a German military mission is to be sent to Russia to reform the Soviet army, and, it is to be concluded, instruct the Russian command in the best means of endeavouring to turn present defeat into a rather more pleasing victory. At the same time there is a certain amount of tension between Italy and Germany over the latter's refusing to permit Italian material aid for Finland to pass through its territory, an open, and specific departure from neutrality in the Finnish-Russian struggle. It is anticipated that this refusal may have serious repercussions, the likelihood of which being increased by the stern enmity, which Italy, under Signor Mussolini, has consistently displayed toward the Soviet regime. It may be that Italy will be content for the moment to send her supplies to Finland by a rather more roundabout route than through Germany, but that the latter in its desire to assist a friend, whose aid up to the moment has been nothing but an embarrassment, is still weakening the Rome-Berlin Axis is a fact which cannot be overlooked when endeavouring to form any estimate as to possible future developments.
It will be remembered that it was only a few months ago that it was freely reported that the German high command was strongly in favour, for military reasons, of forming an out-and-out alliance with Soviet Russia.
To this Herr Hitler was reluctant to agree, and it is believed that had it not been for his intention to engage the Allies, and his fear of having to fight upon two fronts, he would never have agreed to the proposal. He appears to have been entirely misled by the advice of Herr Joachim von Ribbentrop, who, given the opportunity of endeavouring to restore his diplomatically-fallen fortunes, came back from Moscow with the German-
Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, which was quickly shown to mean more than originally appeared on its face. The might of the Russian armies, and the potential material aid of which it was alleged Russia was capable, undoubtedly broke down Herr Hitler's opposition to any such scheme, and, within the space of less than five months, he now finds himself the victim of bad advice, the loser of German predominance in the Baltic, and without that material aid with which it was thought to defeat the Allied blockade. In exchange for all this he has received nothing but the calculated friendship of Russia which the Finns are most gallantly showing may turn out to be a rather more serious liability than it has even up to the present. The Finns have shown that the much-vaunted strength of the Soviet armies is nothing but an empty facade. They have demonstrated that the most-tenderly-cherished army in the world, far from being invincible, has been defeated time and time again by smaller forces, and in a manner which does not permit of the theory of fortunate chance but only of complete inferiority. Where that inferiority springs from is an entirely different matter, but the many purges, in which the Soviet army has been deprived of the leadership of the men who might have done best for them, cannot be ignored. It is doubtful whether the German military mission will be able to effect any speedy reforms which should ensure a Soviet victory over the Finns, for the latter have by now established such a degree of moral superiority; and the morale of the Soviet troops must by now have suffered such deterioration, that to inspire them with a new fighting zeal may well be beyond even the capacities of the German experts.
It is gratifying to learn that no fewer than eighteen nations are coming forward with assistance to the Finns, and that the help which the Allies will afford will amount to no mere gesture. That Sweden and Norway realize the position, and the danger which Russian victory over Finland means for them, is apparent. But they are receiving every encouragement in the victories of the Finns to do all in their power to make those successes permanent. The Finns have shown that the Soviet Armies, despite superiority in numbers, can be beaten, and it depends very largely upon the type of assistance which the Scandinavian countries are willing and able to give to them, whether the present menace to themselves shall be finally eradicated. It is possible that, in the comparatively near future, Sweden at least may have to take very serious decisions. That entry of the country into war on the side of the Finns would be largely popular is demonstrated by that fine Swedish youth which is volunteering for service on the side of their neighbours in such gratifying numbers. The ability of the Finnish command, the bravery of Finnish soldiers have demonstrated to the world at large, and Scandinavia in particular, that the Russian war machine can be defeated. Even more has been proved, and it is that timely ce-operation may at any rate relieve the northern peoples of Europe of the continual menace of the supposed Russian might. The rest of the world has been clearly shown that the assistance they are willing to give these gallant defenders of their homeland will not be wasted, and that it in fact will contribute largely to the confidently-expected democratic victory. It will not be a blunder: it will be a crime if every ounce of assistance possible is not given to the Finns in defeating a nation whose success means, at any rate for a time, their own extinction, They are covering themselves with great glory; they are fighting for just that same freedom which is the very life-blood of the democracies, and in their struggle they have the heartfelt wishes and profound admiration of all those whose battle they are in fact fighting so successfully, A Good Move The unification of the British air force in France under one command is the latest development which has been announced, and one which will be heartily welcomed. ' The officer commanding-in-chief will be responsible. in consultation with the army commanders-in-chief concerned, for ensuring the complete effective: support by the British air forces of the British Expeditionary Force and the French Armies on the western front, He will also be responsible for co-ordinating the operations of the British and French air forces. Involving no change in the principles governing the relationship between the army and air force, this new departure should ensure all round' efficiency and make it certain that the best results shall be obtained by the allied forces in the air, The uniting of the various allied arms into one compact unit for the purpose of carrying on the war, and placing each arm under a single command is a wise move, for it gives to the Allies just that same unity of control as that which is vested in the German high command. With the enormous accession of strength which is being made almost daily to the allied air forces it is believed that parity with the Ger-strength has been gained and passed. There is all the evidence in the world to show that the British and French machines are in every way as good as, if not better than, the German, while ín certain classes the former have machines which completely outclass the Germans, The rapid development of the air arms, and that mainly through machines of the latest design must mean that sooner or later the Allies will be in a position to make that bid for complete supremacy in the air which is imperatively necessary before movements on land can be initiated with any prospects of success. In this connection, time has undoubtedly been in favour of the Allies, and the fact that they have been making good use of their opportunities is the best possible augury for their success when all that has been done of recent years is put to the test of war.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.