Rear-Admiral Taussig, US. Assistant Chief lot Naval Operations, created a stir in Washing-fon when, in. his evidence before the Senate Naval Affairs Committee, he declared that the [United States should.not be placed in a position of having to fight alone against Japan. He lurged that an agreement should be negotiated ili France, Great Britain and the Netherlands fegainst the possibilities of such a conflict, and hat the United States should make arrangements for the use of those nations' bases. The possibility of a war in the Pacific clearly depends upon the manner in which the status quo Jot the Netherlands East Indies is maintained, Jand so long as the Powers concerned are prepared to leave them alone in the event of the [Netherlands being invaded by Germany there lueed be no danger of war. The Admiral's opinions were disclaimed by the Navy Department as of representing their official policy, and a snub has been administered to him. It is interesting jand important to note, however, that a man holding so high a position should express such views, for it indicates the existence of a fair body of opinion which regards the situation in ithe Pacific with a very re lot the Philippine Islands been regarded in the United States with anxiety, land the existence of a movement supporting a proposal for the repeal of the independence legislation freeing the Philippines from the United States suggests similar disquiet in the islands themselves. Sooner or later the United IStates will have to make the decision whether to maintain control over the Philippines, or eave them: to their own devices. Quite obviously, unsupported, they would be unable to defend' themselves from any aggression which might be planned against them, and can only hope to, continue their preseat prosperous course under the wgis of Washington. But it is going a very long way for the Admiral to to suggest the entrance of the: United States into an arrangement with the three Powers he mentions, for if there would be anything in the nature of a foreign entanglement such an understanding would undoubtedly be it. It is more {than likely that the parallel policies followed lby the United States and Great Britain will Icontinue.to be followed, and the possibility that, if such proves tobe the case. the con. jtingency which Admiral Taussig apparently fears will never come about, Unfortunate Incidents The situation in the Mediterranean has, if anything, been worsened by two incidents, the importance of which may be emphasized in the course of a few weeks. The first is the snub administered to the French Ambassador by Count Ciano. The former called upon the Italian Foreign Minister, and suggested the possibility of resuming Franco-Italian talks for the pur-ose of endeavouring to arrive at a settlement of outstanding differences, only to be told that the Count regretted that the moment was not opportune. A rebuff of that sort is not conductive to an improvement in the prevailing atmosphere, and can be taken as definitely tend ing toward further deterioration of the general situation. The. second incident was the speech by Signor Francesco Giunta in which he forecast the spread of the war until it becomes a conflict between the "haves" and the "have nots," claiming that France had always been hostile to Italy and that the traditional friendship between Great Britain and Italy was nothing but a common place denied by history and fact. The Mahan Press campaign of last week having died down, it was thought that there would be some possibility of reaching a better understanding. with Italy. It now appears that the Government of that country desires nothing of the sort, and that high officials are contemplating the extension of the war, nut through Allied action but by that of oth nations, stich as Italy fighting, not for Germans, but at her side. There will be very great regret indeed if any such development takes. pla especially after the endeavours which "ha been made to secure better relationships between Great Britain, France and Italy. That they have failed in the past is because the first two nations have not been prepared to grant everything which the Italian Government has demanded, Some of those "demands cannot be granted even now, but there is much eave for misunderstanding which could and should be Femoved. If by Italian action the war is spread. that will be a contingency with which the Alliex may be expected to deal, though they would prefer not 19 have to do so, When Signer Giunta alleges that when aly announced her non: belligerents some people pekan to think that there would be a repetition of 1914, he said something which undoubtedly was believed in Some quarters, but those were not oMfeial, The Allies undoubledly would like to win this war unaided Sweden Prepares The possibility of Sweden being involved in the war as a result of the operations in Norway daily becomes more likely, and axa factor of portance in swaying the balance of Scandinavian power Sweden's part cannot be ignored The iron ore which Germany vitally needs for her munitions industry ix an attractive bait for Hitler's military schemes, but if Sweden refusex to be coerced and joins Norway. in resisting German expansionist plans she will give a govt account of herself. After Germany, Sweden hax the best navy in the Baltic and in view of the heavy losses inflicted on the German feet by the British Navy, the Swedish fect is now probably paramount. Militarily, Sweden's. posi= tion is also strong for she has been exerting feverish efforts to recover lost round and her current military expenditure is far higher tha ever before in the history of the country, The are some unusual features about the character of the Swedish army which are found other army. Army training is being extended and brought up-to-date by refresher courses and supplementary training for reservists. generall Dut i hax been found that a good deal of wp: to-date theoretical military training can be given without bringing the reservists to the barracks, Training courses by correspondence are therefore being given and the resources of the big Ca-operative Union postal tuition schools ex perience have been placed at the disposal of the military authorities. Six short and popularly: written courses have been drawn up on the basis of the latest edition of the Swedish milit~ ary manual and deal with the following. topics" 1." Organization of the defence force, their functions and their weapons. 2. The necessity of military training as a function of democratic responsibility. 8, Defence. The best methods of faking shelter when under tire, 4, Attack Methods and use of different weapons. 5. Life under canvas and in billets. 6, Supplies, How the Army Is provisioned, Herr Hitler's "Success"
That the adventure of Herr Hitler into way has so completely served the purposes of the Allies may be clearly seen from the sudden, and almost complete falling off of the losses of Allied and neutral shipping through enemy naval faction. The tonnage. which is now being des-insignificant that the threat of the submarine, mine and aeroplane muy be said to be almost non-existent. From the point of view of the U-boat warfare and min laying by surface and underwater raft. the clamping down of the hue Allied mine field along the German coast, and northwards sinest as far as Bergen, has made Norwegian territorial waters equally as dangerous for enemy craft fas mine fields laid in other areas. The practice ut sneaking up the Norwesinn coast and x0 evading the Allied blockade is no Tonzer possible, and if German submarines wish to attack Allied and neutral shipping they have to run enormous risks which previously did not exist. The tempted German naval blockade of the British Isles has been brought to naught and is now shown to be a completer failure than it was the The actions of Ger respondent of the Is newspaper "Siecle" proves that German flotillas have sulfersd heavy loss which the Germans have not vet been sible make good. This disposes of the German clarin that they could build such vessels faster than the Allies could sink them, und is yet further testimony to the accuracy wi the summing up of the naval situation which has, from time to time, been-made by Allied statesmen. Despite the attempts of the Germans frst to deny the landing of Allied Jorees in Norway, and then to belittle their numerical stvensth, the stands out plain for all men to sce that the A) navies have command of the North Sea, utilizing that command for the purpose of 1 porting forces in comparative to x0 16 the ald of their Norwegian Allies. The only success that Herr Hitler has achieved by hie would-have-been lightning stroke against Norway is to have opened up another arcus 1 fighting, and to have brought the Gerinar navy to such disaster that it ceases to have any very great practical value asa fighting..foree, and runs the danger of even further whittling, dows as it endeavours 10 covey German transports across the Skager-Rak.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.