The furious onslaught by the Soviet forces upon the Mannerheim Line in Finland, which has been in progress for the last thirteen days, shows at present no signs of abating, and despite the fact that the fighting is of greater intensity than anything seen during the Great War, according to claims of the Finnish high command, the Russians have not succeeded in making any real impression upon the Finnish positions. It is expected that within the next few days the Soviet pressure in the Karelian Peninsula will increase rather than diminish, for the simple reason that the Soviet command is anxious to force a decision before the snows, usually expected before the end of February, force a lull in the fighting. It is obviously the desire of the Russians to force the issue now, for unless they do so, the Finns, who have been fighting continuously without adequate relief, will be able to secure a respite during which they can rest and better fit themselves to carry on the campaign. That is the main reason why the Soviet command has been hurling large bodies of men against the Finnish. positions, in an endeavour to break Finnish resistance at any cost. It speaks well for the gallant defenders of the little country that, despite all the past weeks of stern hostilities, they continue to fight on with an clan which has astonished the whole world. Neutral estimates of the Russian losses place the casualties at about 3,000 a day in the Karelian Isthmus, and if this is anywhere correct the losses within the last thirteen days must be in the neighbourhood of 40,000 men, a very high price indeed to pay for the temporary gains which the Russians claim in the No-man's Land before the main defences of the Mannerheim Line. They appear to be conducting their campaign with a complete disregard of the cost in human life, and if it is true that they desire to obtain a victory before consenting to countenance German mediation, they are indeed paying a high price for the saving of their face. It has to be emphasized that the Russians have up to the present made no impression whatever on the Mannerheim Line itself and the probabilities are that they will only be able to do so at an even greater cost to themselves.
The fight around Summa ona ten-mile front has been described as resembling the allant stand made by the French at Verdun during the last war, and from all the accounts to hand the description does not seem unwarranted. The stiff resistance put up by the Finns ís giving time for the receipt of that assistance which now appears to be forthcoming in greater quantities than it was at first thought likely. For obvious reasons it has been impossible for the statesmen of countries friendly to, and anxious to help Finland, to give details of what they are each doing, but it is sufficient to note that recently Mr, Chamberlain announced that much more The arrival of the Australian and New Zealand Expeditionary Corps in Egypt has evoked throughout the British Empire and, indeed the world, a tribute as magnificent as the appreciation of the well-organized strategic movement which will safeguard the Near East against any threat by the German or Russian armies. Back in their old stamping grounds, the Anzacs of 1940 are playing their historic role in a part of the world hallowed by the sacrifices of the Anzacs of 1914-18, Within a short time of their arrival they were already entrained for posts in Palestine, swelling the army of nearly 1000000 men in Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq and Aden, with the French army in Syria as the spearhead, and giving tremendous support to the Turkish army in the event of German extension of operations to the Near East. History provides important parallel factors in the new development of military policy in this part of the world, which, in the mind of the ordinary man-in-the-street, did not present the potentialities of a military solution in view of the great offensive and defensive preparations along the Franco-German border. The last war was virtually concluded in the Near East through a combination of strategic factors which now seem apparent in the present conflict. While the Russian army was crippled by revolution and defeat, and great armies battled with incredible losses and bloodshed on the western front without achieving anything more than exhaustion, the flank collapsed on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean and the vast German military organization went with it. Regarding the arrival of the Anzacs, it must be borne in mind that the actual number does not matter: the Anzac numerical effort will be known in due course and people in the old country know, just as they knew in the last war, that the Anzac contribution to the defence of the Empire will be the greatest possible. The moral value is inestimable for it shows that the Empire's resources are willingly placed at Britain's command, and the successful completion of the task of transporting these troops safely to the anticipated war zone demonstrates to the world that Britain continue: to maintain effectively the command of the seas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.