In the Third Year of War
pp. 7-8 · Read in the full issue
War
IN the first year of the war, Germany smashed the Entente Alliance, so that France lay prostrate and Britain was “groggy”. In the second year, she aligned Italy and Japan beside her in the Axis Pact, over-ran most of Europe, and then, in the belief that only Russia lay between her and world hegemony (a contemptuous belief, so far as Britain and the United States were concerned), she hurled her terrible military machine upon the Soviet. Until then, her military success and progress had been amazing, and without parallel.
It seemed that nothing could stop this cruel and monstrous power.
About 130,000,000 people, in a dozen defeated and occupied countries, abandoned themselves to a century of slavery, under the overlordship of the Huns.
But the third year opened in Sep tember on a new note of hope. In July and August, in the greatest battles ever known, the Russians held
up the German attack, and severely mauled and weakened the hitherto irresistible armies of Hitler. Britain launched ceaseless, smashing air at tacks upon Western Germany, claimed air equality in Western Europe, and disclosed figures that proved that the British slowly are winning the Battle of the Atlantic. Britain and Russia, acting together, occupied Iran, threw out a few thousand German Fifth Columnists who were preparing a coup, and thus opened direct com munications between the British Persian Gulf and the Russian Cau casus, by which Anglo-American aid can reach Russia. The United States, under the firm, clear-visioned leader ship of Roosevelt, has moved steadily from “all aid short of war”, to out right “shooting”—and that despite such contortions by the gangs of pro fessional politicians who cluster around Washington that one almost loses faith in democracy. Millions of people in German-occupied countries are now threatening to revolt.
Above all—and this is of para mount importance to dwellers in the Pacific—Far Eastern tension definitely is easier. That is the best war baro meter of all.
When Germany was expanding and boastful and apparently irresistible, and Britain alone faced an armed Europe, and America was dithering, and Stalin was believed to be tremb ling at the sound of Hitler’s name, Japan was arrogant and menacing, and an all-in war was very close to the Pacific. The change in Europe, the result of Russia’s unexpected stand, and President Roosevelt’s steadfastness, is reflected in a marked change in the attitude of Japan.
BUT it is far too soon to start cheer ing. Thousands of silly people, bleating optimism and rushing to buy stocks and shares, ought to be kicked into a concentration camp, as a public nuisance.
The Hun is far from beaten. He has met a very serious check, and he is snarling, and threatening, and lying, in a way that proves his em barrassment. But let us not forget that Russia cannot possibly stand up indefinitely to those German attacks;
and, if Hitler organises a winter cam paign and German tanks can travel over snow and frozen mud, the Russian line may break. _lt is quite possible that, in the next few weeks, German armies will over run the Ukraine and enter the Cau casus oilfields; that Axis armies will launch a smashing offensive against the British in the Middle East; that Germany yet may induce Japan to engage United States, and so divert American aid from Britain and Russia.
Nevertheless, the third year of war opens in a way that, if forecast a year ago, would have seemed fantastic. A year ago, it was indeed a grim pros pect of “toil and sweat and tears”.
Now, if still we toil and sweat, we may hope to see Hitler driven from offence to defence; and there is a reasonable chance of his defeat, and of the destruction of the foul thing he created.
After that, the economic and poli tical deluge!