March 27.
Reports "from New York confirm the general impression that the tempo of the war is increasing. That of course has nothing. whatever to do with Mr. Matsuoka's visit to the Axis capitals, but coincides with the coming of spring and better fighting conditions all round. Nevertheless it is just as) well that Berlin was touched up on Sunday night by the RAF. if only in order to give the Japanese Foreign Minister an opportunity of seeing that Britain can and is) striking back. Possibly his hosts will be most careful not to give him much idea of the damage to the 270 German cities and towns which had been bombed up to the end of January last, though, if he asks to be! allowed to see for himself, and his hosts refuse, he will certainly be able to draw his own' conclusions. For instance a tour of the Ruhr district, or a visit o Hamburg might give him considerable assistance in endeavouring to form some idea of the manner! in which Britain has been carrying on the) struggle, and the enormous potentialities which now are to be found in Anglo-American cooperation.
It is expected that the opening of a major war front along the Yugoslav border is now only a matter of a few days, and increased intensity of effort may be expected there and indeed in the Mediterranean. Here it is} apparent that the Germans are attempting to secure dominance by use of the Stuka dive bomber, but they have not yet succeeded in doing anything of note, and have certainly' not interfered with the activities of the Royal Navy which of late has been active in the middle Mediterranean in the narrow waters which there is the greatest danger, and has been able to convoy ships without any material damage. The creation of air bases in Libya will afford the British air 'a better opportunity to deal with the enemy bases in Sicily, while both Italy and Germany have a very long way to go before they can in any way increase their influence in the eastern Mediterranean. Here British troop movements, carried out without loss, clearly demonstrate that the enemy yet achieved anything remarkable, Britain still retains control of that waterway.
The British having now regained full control of British Somaliland the Empire remains intact save for the Channel Islands whase Uberation will follow the Allied vielury. On the other hand the Italian Em~ pire, a very ephemeral creation at the most, is in fact drawing to its end, The Italian troops, sent to Africa on one of the wildest adventures it is possible to conceive, without adequate lines of communication with the home country, have been roundly defeated, and all that remains to be done is for the British to round up the remnants, which owing to Italian resistance in Eritrea and Abysinnia may take some time. Their end, however, is, humanly speaking, inevitable, ud when it has been achieved substantial numbers of well trained, hardy British and Dominion troops will become available for service on other fronts. But as the weeks Pass speed becomes increasingly imperative, The respite which Hitler gave Great Britain when he hesitated about attacking her after the collapse of France, has been turned to good use, New armies have been built up and equipped. The lessons of the campaign in the Low Country have been thoroughly learned. They have been worked out in the Western Desert to the great discomfiture of the enemy, and the time is approaching when the Germans will be made to realize that the British are after all somewhat quick at Tearing things.
At the same time the German all-out blockade of Great Britain must give ground for some anxiety, though it may be confidently asserted that, as in the last war, it will ultimately be brought under control. "The task will be difficult because of the greatly extended coastline which Germany now con~ trols, but that British ingenuity, which has demonstrated its fine qualities in this war 80 many times already, will rise to th occasion. The elimination of the French fle undoubtedly created new problems for Britain to solve. With the enormous assis= tance which the United States are already giving, and the greatly increased aid in materials which can be expected as the months pass, there is reason to believe that Great Britain will be able to~ontstay—ttio= pace. Once she does that the fate of Germany is sealed. Hence Hitler's hurry to force matters. Time is operating definitely against him. A quick victory is imperative for him, and, if he does not get it, he is lost.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.