Daily Post - 21.10.1942, Page 2

DAILY POST
Britain’s Traditionai Strategy
And The Second Front
Invasion Means Revolutionary
Change In Our Military Ideas
DAILY POST
is publiahed by
BlaSahringurinn.
Kdltorg: S. Benediktason.
A. L. Merson.
Office: 12, Austurstrætl. Tel.
•715. Reykjavik. Printed by
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Wednesday, Oct. 21st, 1942
News in Brief
London, Oct. 19th.
Today some enemy air activ-
ity over the eastern counties of
England is reported. German
raiders, flying low, caused some
damage and a number of cas-
ualties.
*
It was announced here today
that Yehudi Menuhin, the fam-
ous American violinist, has
arrived in London, where he is
going to play, the first time in
aid of the British Red Cross in
Albert Hall on October 30th.
The concert will be broadcast,
at 6,45—7,30 p.m. and again at
7,50—8,50 p.m. Greenwich
mean time.
n
Reports from Vichy state
that the registration of all
French workers between 18 and
50 years of age, who are work-
ing less than 30 hours a week,
began this morning.
•
Stockholm messages report
that King Christian X of Den-
mark was thrown from his
horse during his daily ride this
morning. He was taken to hos-
pital, having suffered some in-
juries which, however, are not
considered dangerous. King
Christian is 72.
❖
Several hundred Carrier
Pigeons of the Unitejl States
Forces in Britain are now und-
ergoing a strenuous “Com-
mando Course”. They are being
taught to fly in blackouts and,
to prepare them for battle con-
ditions, they are released amid
diving airplanes and light ex-
plosives. They are given, medi-
cal attention and like the
troops they have their “days
off’.
*
Doctors numbering 10,000
who were in civilian practice
in Great Britain before the war
are now in the fighting servic-
es. This represents about one
quarter of the total general
practitioners.
It has long been recognised
by all that we can only win the
war by invading the continent
and sharing with the Russians
the main brunt of the armed
force of fascist Europe. But not
all have realised what a com-
plete change in British military
organisation and above all mili-
tary idea^, is necessary for this
task.
For hundreds of years, Brit-
ain has taken a prominent part
in continental wars. But never
in all that time has she taken on
herself the sole or even the
main burden of a land-front in
Western Europe.
' We helped to thwart the am-
bitions of Philip II of Spain.
But the defeat of the Armada
was for us a defensive battle,
and of course a sea-battle. And
it was not English armies which
freed Holland from Spain.
Later we helped to defeat
Louis XIV of France’s grand-
iose plans of supremacy. But
Marlborough’s English troops
were only a small part of a
large coalition.
In the 7 years’ war, while
Austria and Prussia in turn
were fighting France in Eu-
rope, England poured her main
energies into the naval war, the
Indian front, the Canada front.
When Napoleon dominated
the continent, England opened
a second front in Spain. But
Wellington was not strong en-
ough to cross the French border
until the French army had
been driven from Russia and
Germány had risen against the
emperor.
British strategy has been
based on blockade, naval war-
fare, colonial campaigns, sup-
plying Allies and making small
raids. Both the policy of sup-
plying Russia and that of mak-
ing brief raids like Lofoten and
Dieppe are entirely within the
classic British strategy.
But the Second Front, to
which we are now committed,
is something quite different and
quite new. Now we—the Brit-
ish with our American Allies—
must engage the enemy’s land
forces alone, for there is no-one
else to do it for us. This means
a far greater concentrated ef-
fort than we made on the west-
ern front in the last war, when
French armies always far out-
numbered ours.
This means that we are
forced to put far more of our
eggs into one basket than ever
before. In order to strike the
one blow that is needed to bring
Germany to her knees, we may
even have to abandon tem-
porarily some of the outlying
positions whose defence has
cost us so much in shipping and
supplies. The British war effort
has been great, but it has been
dispersed all over the world.
Never was it clearer than today
that the fate of the world will
be decided in Europe.
Where Examiner
Slipped Dp
One important job a squa-
dron intelligence officer has to
do is to make sure that all pi-
lots are proficient in aircraft
recognition.
The other day the intelli-
gence officer of a fighter squa-
dron returned from leave to
learn that a new Belgian pilot
had joined the squadron.
Seeing a pilot wearing the
uniform of the Belgian Air
called him over, pinned him in
Force, the intelligence officer
a chair and for half an hour
shot questions at him.
Eventually, satisfied with the
Belgian’s knowledge of friendly
and hostile aircraft, the intelli-
gence officer showed him the
Pilots’ Order Book and all the
things he had to sign. The pilot
politely agreed, and the intelli-
gence officer went away feeling
that he had done a good hour’s
work.
Later another pilot said to
him: ‘You know, that wasn’t
our new pilot, that was a visi-
Servicemen of 27 nationali-
ties stayed at a Y.M.C.A. hostel
in London during last August.
These hostels and others of a
U.S. Critics Condemn
Filrn On Icelaod
“Completely Fancifnl”
New York. — America’s lead-
ing film critics have joined in
unanimous and emphatic un-
favourable criticism of the
movie, “Iceland”, which op-
ened here on Friday.
The critics not only object
to the plot as being ‘silly,’ and
“ridiculous”, but they point out
at length that the film gives a
completely distorted and unreal
portrayal of Iceland and its
people.
Most of the critics simply dis-
miss the picture as just another
musical comedy which picked
Iceland as the locale to fit into
Sonja Henie’s skating routines.
Not a single word of praise was
spoken for the picture.
Bosley Crowther, leading cri-
tic of the New York Times, re-
ferred to the resentment the
film has caused in Iceland. He
added that while the American
people will not regard it nearly
so seriously “there is no de-
nying ‘Iceland’ is not a tribute-
to anybody’s wits”.
The influential and widely
read critic of the New Yorker
Magazine had this to say:
“This picture is junk, and as
vulgar as anything currently
visible on Broadway. As cur-
ious as this new Iceland may
seem to the average spectator,.
it is by no means as curious as
the plot which was contrive
only to utilize Miss Henie’s
skating talents.”
Newsweek Magazine says the
picture is dull and has a “pre-
posterous story”.
Attention is called to another*
aspect of the picture by the
critic of the New York World-
Telegram. He says: “We have-
sent our boys to Iceland for a
serious and undoubtedly lone-
some job. It does seem un-
gracious to them to make a pic-
ture about what a glorious time
they are having. This picture
presents a completely fanciful
Iceland where the Icelanders
stage ice carnivals that make
even Miss Henie look silly. The
entire thing is a Hollywood
dream and is nothing more thari
a film called Iceland.
similar nature are doing a
splendid war job in serving'
with the huge armed forces
now assembled in Britain.