I pc AFrt R s CHURCHIL L'S t EH I By Capt Bernard Acworth

MR. Churchill' recent review of the general war situation makes any short commentary by tees inrormea pet sous superfluous, especially as nothing has occulted spoinrzetanwt areltseprecthee Mpors.itioGnhurinchaniliy made it clear that the enormous area bombing offensive against German cities is the foundation of Allied strategy, and that ii is CD be regarded as a sort of preliminary " artillery " preparation for a full-scale itoasion of the Continent at some future date. But there still seems to lurk the idea that this bombing may, of itself, bring doeurr beyn ae rnicoesm Ilion a tui onnc aorlid iht iroon a lk en smil ro rrea and destroyed war material. Mr. Churchill, it wtfOl be remembered, said some mpoths ago that there was no harm in trying out the possibility of bringing Germany to her knees by mass bombing. Everyone will not agree with this view, because, if it fails, the almost unimaginable effort will have been paid for very dearly. Up to the present this area bombing semis to have stiinulated the enemy's will to fight riwi.thout bringing about any very noticeable shortage in essential war m
For some reason not yet explained the German army seems to regard the air weapon as a less essential arm than do those directing our war effort.
With regard to the Italian campaign, Mr. Churchill laid great stress on the number. of German divisions it was " containing." and he said that if Hitler decided to make it a great secondary front his decision is not unwelcome to the Allies. This is a new outlook to which the public must adjust itself, and it is one which is very different to the original one when the landing in the beachhead was made.
But I think the point in his speech which may have the greatest repercussions in the military and political future of the war was his disclosure of the British attitude towards Poland's future frontiers. The promise ro Poland that she shall have " compensation " at the expense of German territory almost certainly postpones the prospect of "Unconditional Surren
der." What will be the reoctions in the alignment of European sympathies remains to he seen.