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m ii W Wi l â€" r'i i r =«". â- â€¢t I* if f i }%f THE WAR. WEE Kâ€" Commentary on Cm rent Events SURRENDER OF LEOPOLD BRINGS BLACKEST DAYS Th« Allkil army of th» north, •Dttuistiiig chiefly of ihe British Ei- yedltionary Force, was placed in • position of supreme lianKcr by the ca{iilulation last week oC the Belgian forces under King Leopold and was forced to retreat yard by yard towards the coast under a re- lentless German attaclt. With the Channel ports from Ostend to Ron- logne strongly compromised, a Oer- â- Min bid for final victory seeming- ly eniered the decisive stage. Peo- ple of British, French, Belgian blood girded themselves for the kitteresl days tbey had ever had to lace. •"Til Facts Are Known" Branded as treachery, little was known regarding the actual tircum- â- taaces surrounding King Leopold's nncouditional surrender of the Bel- gian army to Germany. Admiral of the British Fleet, Sir Roger Keyes. •pecial British liaison officer to Belgium since the German inva- â- km of the Low Countries, made a dramatic appeal for suspension of Judgment on King Leopold III â€" "a â-¼w-y gallant soldier" â€" until all the facte were known. The Ixindon Ev- ening News recalled the recent "words of the Be.Igian minister of the interior, M. van der Poorten, that King I^rcopold was "filled with deep concern for the fate of his tpc'ops" who were taking a feroc- ious battering from the Germans. The Xewe suggested this sentence Krovlded a key to the King's deei- vlon. Trench Consolidate Separated from the army on the Jlanders front by a wide German eorridor, the main body of the AJ- Ue<I forces, retaining the Initiative, â- was consolidating itself on tlie en- tire course of the Somme in piepar- •tion of a great offensive. Ger- aten losses were reported to be ter- rific on all fronts, the Allies claim- tp^ that casualties during ten days' fighting totalled half a million . . . On the .^isne all was quiet; near lh<» M^i.ig? tJit Gerniaiis jpjnained iggref-si've, but were being hel3 •Terywhere; nothing was occurring en the Maginot Line. • • ♦ BRITAIN: Civilian morale in Great Britain was bolstered by the iwoic exploits of R.A.K. bombing and fighting pilots who did double and triple duty in the fierce bat- tle« raging on the Continent. The Air Force went after targets in the Rhineland industrial area, bombing railways Junctions, troop trains, yards and bridges. Over the week-end a shake-up in the British army high command wa« tnade, replacing General Iron- eld© by General Sir John Dill as Comjnander of the Imperial Staff; General Ironside was put in charge ot British home forces who were feeing prepared against the threat et an imminent Nazi invasion. Sweeping powers were granted Britain's new wartime government Including: establishment of pro- duction councils to control the man- ufacture of munitions, ships and Aircraft and to regulate mining and agriculture; authority to Impose 100 per cent, excess profits tax to prevent profiteering; authority to take over munitions factories; su- â- Biorlty to regulate other industry to prevent overlapping of labor; the right to control banks and the right to regulate wages and hours «* labor. Invasion Seen As Inevitable Prime Minister Churchill warned that "bard and heavy tidings" may fee expected from a situation of "grievous peril"; Information Min- ister Duff Cooper said that although British must withdraw in Flanders. "we have not lost the war, assured- ly we ."hal! not." The early possibility was fore- Men in Britain that with Germans iB control of channel ports, lin- den niif-'ht become but a salient of the w( stern front . . . that big Ger- man land guns commanding the Straits ot Dover, aided by German plane«. could ruin merchant traf- fic In the Channel and pave the â- way tor the Nazi invasion of Bri- tain, regarded as almost inevit- able. Through Ireland? Apprehension increased during the week that Germany might at- tempt to use Ireland as a base of operations against the United King- dom. H< portert activity of the Irish Jtepubiic Army gave rise to serlons iBlsgivings and promptMl the Eire geTernmt-ut to take drastic milit- ary measures, bringlnsr the army to war strength • • • RT.1RSIA: Signs were plentiful that the Soviet Ui^ion was becom be jncftas^ly perlurhed ahou' lermtny .niilit.ify iiTm_« Trt ^itJ^' urope. ai particular aboiii the JRls jlbHity ni ^ J9M Gerrorin-Italian •five In uie BalKans. Friendliness with tho Allies was thorefofe jflt 2jrlijfl(-«t r-om fh^ So^l K^J^ram. The Sovitt fepi> to rei >:nl British prnpos.ils for a tiade agrremriit •bowed that Russia had by no means doeert thn d>>or to further talks; and last â- WP«k when Sir fitnf ford Cripps, I^nborlte member of the British House, Journeyed to Moscow on an economic mission, chances were seen as "not unfavor- able" for improved rel.itlong be- tween Britain and the CS.S.R. • • • ITALY: Foreigiiers pr(>pared to leave Italy as further wlasses of army reserves were calUd for duly. Italy's entrance into the war on the side of Germany appearwl only a matter of days distant, although It was seen that Mussolini might be fobb(-<l oft at the last minute by the relaxation of the Allied blockado in the Mediterranean, or by sweep- ing territorial concessions on the j>art ot France, All the Italian schools were ordered closed, and civilian motor traffic suspended to conserve fuel, (the ultra-Fascisl newspaper Conquisto D'Impero said that if Italy entered the war the decisive battle would be in Egypt: (he Italian plan would be to smash the Allies' east fleet ami block the Suez canal). • * * T:N1TED STATES: While Con gress considered immediate action to finance the U. S.' new $1,000,- 000,000 defense program. President Roosevelt, set up a seven-man com- miesion to supervise its carrying- oiit; announce*! a scheme to train 60,000 yearly for the U.S. air force; and made a ferve>nt appeal for aid for war refugees. The war has brought a substan- tial reduction in trade for the Unit- ed States, and deterioration in cer- tain phases ot the nation's business and industrial life, but the U. S. steel Industry expects the busiest ye«r since the 1914-18 boom .... leaders of industry conferring on i>pee<l-up plans estimated that the Allied aircraft orders in the U.S. have reached $725,00^000 a recent increase ot $100,000,000. As a part of the American de- fense program, mass production of new £0j)ular-priced (under $2.50) gai masjjf for civilians was con- elementary flying schools would be established, one ot them at Go<ler- icb, Ontario . . . The bringing down of llie Federal Iiiidget was expected within ten (lays, at which time Finance Min ister Ralston would revt;il the fax- es and other measures l>y which the government hopes to obtain money to carry on the ration's war activity and keep up curtailed pt ace-time services . . . The appointment was announced during the week of J. Pierrepont Moffat as the new United States Minister to Canada, succeeding Jas. }f. R. Cromwell. Apropos, the New- York Herald-Tribune editorialized: "No one can foresee the outcome of the war, but no matter how it ends, femplated. CANADA: Spurred by the fast- developing crisis abroad, events at home in Canada hap"pen'e(i {Licit and faat. The Dominion Gorernment announced immediate expansion of the military and air forces of Can- ada as an emergency step to meet the critical situation in Europe, and Prime Minister Mackenzie King intimated at Ottawa that the ad- ministration had given considera- tion to "measures that may be ne- ceesary' ... in other words, con- ccriiption , . . the formation of a fourth division ot the C.A.S.F. was outlined fn Parliament, raising the total of Canadian troops in active lerrice by 60 per cent. . . In addi- tion a veterans' home guard was authorized by the Defence Depart- ment . . . Air Minister C. G. Power told the House of Commons that every single air field under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan would be rush ' to completion this BUiMner, and that three additional ^^h BEE HIVE no one can overlook tlje fateful im- portance, today and hereafter, of the relations between the United Slates and Canada." Rumors flew during the week, contributing to the national state of mind which was bordwing on hysteria. We heard that parthut- ists might land in Toronto; that spies in nun's clothing had been ap- prehended near Port Stanley; titsx our next-door neighbor was a "5th columnist", and that we ought to tell the police about him . . . Bet- ter substantiated reports crowded on the heels ot these rumors: that Queen Mary might shortly come to (^anada accompanied by the Prin- cesses Elizabeth ami Margaret Rose; that other European royalty might seek refuge here . . . Dow- age' Queen Marie of Yugoslavia, with two children and tuo grand- children; Princess Juliana of the Netherlantte and her two babies. Most cheerful nev^s of the week: Allied and Norwegian forces captur- ed the iron ore port of Narvik. Radio System Is Simplified A eiiuf)lified system cf ship- to- iihore radio telephone service with one working frciiuenry for all the Great Lakes insieni.! of on» kw^MJi'. of the five lalte^ iiit tiefet-. 'ura, aas been inauguratK; Effective sine* tjj;iy l«t idop-.on of the system foi uwe^J an nforujal agreement beiwtf-n the United States and Canaiia atd wji ylactd in operation wiii.' tlie co-. per^iUon ct the fe-dcral coriitiiuica! inn jt^m- loission of the Ufjited Sta. 3» AGRBE.V1ENT WITH j. S Actually the u'eiit KiTfuvmrX brings up to date -.w iigrt*iu'ent l>t- twe.'^n Canada snil the United States in 1936 11 hen cei -aia fre- quency bands nue nk-t a.-*idJ4 for ship-to-shore raiiJo tele-ph-^no ^et* vices on the Atiantic ojkI raoiflo co.'ists as well f.s on th^ Great Lekes. The Battle of the Tanks I The tank complement of a British Division is at least one battalion I off 45 infantry co-operation tanks and one regiment off 45 scout tanks | Sept. 1, 1939 â€" Hitler orders invasion of Poland. Sept. 27 â€" Warsa'w surrenders German tanks. 10 April 9, 1940â€" Hitler sends tank troops into Norway, mechanized forces overrtin Denmark. May 3â€" Allies â- withdra^w from Central Norway, lacking arnioiired troops. May lOâ€" Hitler's tanks invade Holland and Belgiuin. I.tixembouTg overrun. Sept. 10 â€" <.':iii;;(i.i tntere<l the rtar. Sept- 31 â€" First Di\ ision with three tank units mobilized. Oct. IS â€" Major- General McNaughton in Command, called for survey of Canada's armoured troops, Jank training and prodiictioti possibilities. Oct. 31 â€" Col. E. J. Carter, British tank expert, submitted his report, recommenditig: Immediate creation centralized Armoured Corps; unit and combined training at Camp Borden; tank production in Canada to "atart now." Nov. 13 â€" Ottawa announced British experts to or- ganize our war effort. Nov. 14 â€" Toronto Committee wired and wrote De- fense Minister urging To). Carter be retaiHed as adviser on tank jrairJng an^ prodtic- I1017". Nov. 15^ Minister of Defense J^ogcrs wired : "Our tank organization does not 'Mrarrant appointment addi- tional senior officer* at present." Nov. 20 â€" iTorcjnto Globe & Mail pttblished first of four articles on "Armour- ed Troops in the Present War" by Col. F,. J. Carter. From the articles come these statements: Hardened steel is the only thing that will bring a man alive through a zone of machine-gun fire and carry him and his retaliatory fire into the hostile line. Tanks are the answer . . . September, 1918, when we were ad- vancing with the Canadians, was the Germans' first les.son in co-operative attack â- with armoured troops and airplanes. It would not be wise to discount the skill with which they applied it in Poland . . . Of the 1939 v,ar . . . this much can certainly he foretold: If and when the attack does come it will be made in the greatest numbers and at the highest soeed with both land and aircraft. For its aim will be to penetrate the battle ground and reach the con- trol and supply areas before reserves can be brought up to meet it . . . H Canada can undertake more her best coiitrilmiiou, in my humble judgtntnt, would be in the recruiting, training and rritiipping of tank units. There is no technical problem in the production of tank*; which Canada's skilled industries should not be able quickly to overcome . . . Nov. 22 â€" lirigadier E. J. C. Schniidlin, Director of Engineering Services at Canadian lU-.ttlfjuarters, technical ad\ iser to the Minister of Defense, visited Toroiito to speak of tanks. From the speech come these pearls : Nobody knows how useful tanks will be in actual "ding-dong" warfare . . . The Polish campaign was no true indication of the power of mechanized armies. The Poles failed to provide the- opposition e:<pcctcd of them ... * The usefulness of the airplane . . . remains to be seen. . . The damage from bombing will be considerably less than expected . . . Bombing a civilian makes him hot Pass the Bayonets, Please! under the collar and sends him running for a rifle . , . The ultimate weapon which wins the war is t\ bayonet on a rifle carried by an infantrvroan through the mud. Nov. 24 â€" Major Everett Bristol, for tiie Toronto Comn.ittef , wrote ^fr. Rogers asking reconsideration of his leri- sion to do without Col. Carter's expert advice. His letter enclosed an offer of co-operation by the irining industry in "a more ambitious tank program," and asked permission to bring a delegation to meet the Minister and discuss "what steps can be taken to mobilize the resources of the leaders in the mining industry behind a major war effort." Nov. 27â€" Mr. Rogers acknowl- edged this letter with- ont reply. Nov, 30 â€" Col. Carter, of the Royal Tank Corps, left May 15 â€" Netherlands surrender all but Zeeland Province. May 17 â€" Brussels vacated. May 19â€" Nazi tanks pierce Somme at St. Quentin. May 20â€" German lig^it tanks reach Channel at Abbeville. May 26 â€" French command an- nounces withdrawal from Boulogne. May 27â€" General Weygand pro- mises armoured counter- attack. Canada for England. Dec, (?)â€" Under the Command of Major-General Mc- Naughton the First Division, CASF, sail- ed for Englatid. minus its three tank unat«. Dec. to Feb. â€" The Toronto ConTmit- tee sought ways and means of obtnrning Canadian - made tank training equipn'.ent. Results: A cheap, easily assembled train- ing vehicle was plan- ned with the co-L'pcia- tion of the Dominion's motor industry. An offer to make test machines without expense or obligation to tlie Department of Defense was submitted. Regard- less of the efforts of staff officers directly concerned the offer was igttored. Feb. 12 â€" Major Bristol opened a new offensive, writing the Pritne Minister, the Minister of Defense and a liigh ranking officer on the Headrpiarters Staff urging actlun on tanks. He enclosed specially marked copies of Col. Carter's prophetic articles. Feb. 14 â€" Mr. Rogers acknowledged receipt of the articles. Feb. 16 â€" The Prime Minister's office also acknowledged rtc< i]it. Tins â- was countered with a last appeal to Mr. King Ihrou'.'h the offices of a friend. March 8 â€" The Toronto Committee received a profouncl treatise^ originating witlt the Department of Defense. It ad- vised that there was ^no program for unit or csm- bincd tank training at Camn Borden and no Itkelii- hood that one would be adopted. Mnrch 16 â€" Ottawa repulsed last assault: "We arc working c-n .1 very coinpreIieusi\e progratu of dcvelo]nnent in wiieel- ed vehicles wliich has great potential training vain»\" Somewhere-in-April â€" lirij^adier Schmidlin. Director of Engineering Services at Dc tense llcad([uartcrs. technical adviser to the Minister of Defense, raised to Acting Quartermaster Genera'' Mav 27 â€" First Division tank units still in Canada. stiM tanklese. Prime Minister King ii-oniiscd a Fo.Tlli Division of nine .RIFLE B.\rT.'\LtON,Sâ€" presumably complete with bayonets and mttd. r Written and paid for by "Calling Canada" REG'LAR FELLERS Reel Good Idea By GENE BYRNES rrtsr