NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE withdrawal of the small British force before powerful Italian forces and the evacuation of Somaliland may be of no great military consequence but are much to be regretted from the point of view of prestige in the Middle East. The original plan of defence was thrown out by the defection of the French in Djibuti, which not only deprived the British of their co-opera- tion but exposed their right flank to attack from the direction of 'Leila. In making a decision for or against reinforcing the troops at Berbera the High Command had to weigh one set of strategic considerations against another. The forces at their disposal may be required for more important military purposes, one of which is the defence of Egypt on the Libyan frontier. The loss of British Somaliland adds nothing to Italy's power of damaging us in the region of the Red Sea, for there is no attack she could make from there on Aden which she could not equally well attempt from Eritrea. Our fleet has command of the sea, and Aden itself is well defended. On the other hand this real or apparent set-back will tend to deter the Abyssinians from rebelling against their rulers, and Italian troops which might have been held in Somaliland will be released for possible operations against Khartoum and the Sudan. In estimating this or any other major strategic decision it will not be forgotten that Britain, suddenly deprived of her ally France, is bearing the whole brunt of the war in all parts of the world, and in some regions for the present may be compelled to economise her use of land forces.
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