ON ALL FRONTS
HE greatest danger-zone of the war at the moment is still in the Far East, where the Japanese are still pressing on whole front in Malaya. The Australians have been putting a stout resistance, though the Japanese claim to be threatening em with forces that have worked round to their rear. Our support appears to be stronger, but not yet nearly strong ough. It is likely that there will soon be a dash between mething more than patrols in South Burma, where Japanese rces are across the frontier. In Russia the outstanding event the week has been the driving of the Germans out of their ong bastion at Mojaisk, the fall of which seems likely to volve the flattening out of the whole German salient opposite oscow, and the retreat of the armies there in the direction Smolensk. The enemy have received a harrir. tiering farther rth in the region south of the Valdai hills, and farther south what the Germans admit to be a new offensive near Kharkov. the Crimea the position is obscure. The Germans claim to ye retaken Feodosia, but there is no Russian denial or con- ation. In Libya the surrender of Halfaya, where 5,500 soncrs were taken, has removed a formidable obstacle astride r line of communications in Cyrenaica, and has set free for er purposes the troops engaged in investing it. But our opera- ns against the main enemy force near El Ageila have been d up by bad weather, and Rommel has taken the opportunity sowing mines around his positions, and is apparently ready r obstinate resistance. He may already have received rein- rcements on the ground, and certainly has in the air. His tect is to gain time till fresh troops and aeroplanes reach him om Sicily and Italy. Our object is to force a decision before ese become very formidable. Long lines of communications resent difficulties to both sides.
