South Yorkshire Times, August 5th 1944
Allied Mastery
Despite the statement, cautiously qualified, that “victory may come soon” Mr. Churchill studiously preferred to record rather than to prophecy in the course of his report to the House of Commons on Wednesday. In between expressions of satisfaction over what has been achieved the Prime Minister inserted several oblique warnings. Quite evidently the sting has not yet been drawn from the Nazi adder, and if on balance the review made cheerful hearing it did not exclude the possibility of some disconcerting surprises for the Allies before they administer the coup de grace.
A new development in the U-Boat war was envisaged, the “possibility of expected and uncertain things” turning up was mentioned, the likelihood of stopping the flying bomb attacks was relegated to the time (not perceptibly imminent) when the territory from which these missiles are launched is in our hands and Mr. Churchill introduced his peroration with a figure of speech which pictured the United Nations as bearing the height of the storm to win through the final victory.
One prophetic utterance which the Premier did permit himself ought to be blazoned wherever the eyes of the rising generation are likely to light upon it. He said: “A new light is playing on the possibility of invading across the Channel – a light which I hope will not be altogether lost upon our own people in the days when we have handed over our burdens to others.”
If, as a nation, we are so criminally shortsighted as to overlook the significance of this remark we may be sure that the Germans will not have overlooked the conditions which moved Mr. Churchill to make it. Sea barriers can be crossed in two directions. In 1940 the Germans failed to invade Britain because their leaders lacked prescience to realise just what such a vast amphibious enterprise entailed in specialised planning and equipment. We have taught them this lesson, and they are not slow to profit by such tuition. Already responsible Germans are writing off their second bid in 20 years to snatch world power, and are doing what they can to see that no mistake is made when Germany comes to the third attempt. And so, it behoves us to rear an alert and wary generation, prompt and competent in its own defence, which keeps its powder dry and its armoury up- to-date, however fair the protestations of the German wolf in penitential post-war- sheep’s clothing.
For the rest the review and could not help but record a substantial balance of assets over liabilities. A big leap forward in France had been made happily and as it seemed most aptly, in time to feature prominently in the speech; the Red Army’s great surge forward shows no signs of relaxing; Japanese arrogance is wilting under American and British pressure in the Pacific and in Burma; and Turkey has at last shown her hand and severed all connection with the doomed Nazis. In Italy things continue to go well.
Mr. Churchill might well comment: “Throughout the world there is no theatre in which Allied mastery has not become pronounced.” This truth does not seem to have escaped even the Finns, whose manoeuvres centred around a change of Presidents suggest that they are preparing to abandon the Nazi ship at last. This, coupled with cautious Turkey’s belated move, show even those who have eyes to see, as clearly as anything can, the inescapable trend of events. But there are none so blind as will not see, and the Nazis unquestionably fall within that category. The spectre of failure on the Eastern Front is too substantial to ignore. Desperate and inadequate as the remedy is, the the Nazis are committed to the task of replacing these shattered and routed armies.
But what can such emergency reserves expect do against the Red Army which Germany’s crack troops, hardened by the rigours of the Russian campaign, have failed to hold? And what of the insatiable demands of the fronts in France and Italy? All this is but to postpone the evil day.