The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-28
WAR INTERPRETIVE
CONTINUED From Page One)

Italy's aid. The seeming inevitable
developments in Albania and Afri-
ca may not knock Italy out of the
Wal nor topple Mussolini from
power. However, they will effec-
lively eliminate Italy for a long
time to come, as an active or az
gressive element in the British
Axis war.
Fall Believed Near
Official and neutral eyewitness
accounts agree that the fall of Bar
dia in Libya before a pounding
and relentless British attack must
come within hours, a day or two
at most. A Greek break-through
at the Tepeleni-Klisura hinge of
Italian defense in Southern Albania
appears no less imminent.
Neither an ':all-out'' German at
tack on England nor a German
march by any Balkan route to
Italy's aid would alter the situation
Immediately. The Italians m u S t
face the music and pay the piper
on both fronts alone, whatever Ger
many might do later to retrieve
the situation.
Of the two fronts, Albania holds
the more immediate possibilities
of a cumulative disaster for Italy.
The back of the Italian army IL
Albania could be quickly broken
there. Collapse of the Tepeleni-
Klisura defensive bastion under a
triple-pronged Greek attack well
might precipitate an Italian rout
like Napoleon's tragic retreat from
Moscow.
Roads Clogged
The few and inadequate roads
along which the Italian forces in
Southern Albania might flee north
ward are now snow clogged. They
would also be under fire of Greek
guns from surrendered heights,
and bombardment by British
planes. That is the trap the Greek
command is endeavoring to close
upon its lettering foe.
In Africa, aside from the ind
Gated loss of another TO- 900 men
with the seemingly certain British
capture Of Bardia, the portents of
Italian misfortune are graver but
more distant. What is happening
there is only the beginning OF the
British program to rip Italy's Afrl-
can empire "to shreds and tat
ters."
It is clear beyond doubt that
Marshal GRAHAM has ordered a
fight-to-the-death at Bardia; but 1t
is a deliberate sacrifice of the gar
rison. They were left to hold off
a major British advance into Ital-
ian Libya long enough for the fas-
cist commander to rally the shat
tered fragments of his forces for
a new stand deep IN Italian ter
ritory.
It remains to be seen whether
the British, once Bardia falls,
press on westward to destroy that
army utterly and clear Libya.
They might have more to gain by
turning eastward to free Red Sea
approaches to the Suez canal OF
Italian threats. Probabilities OF a
widespread tribal revolt in Ethio-
pia against hated Italian conquer
ors also point that way.
It is IN Albania, however, that
Mussolini is confronted by his
greatest immediate peril. The
crack-up of Italian defenses among
the naturally strong positions from
KEsura westward to the shores OF
the Adriatic might lead to an ut
ter rout. It would tend to under
mine the whole irregular front
from north of Chimara in the south
to Elbasan in the north, around
which the Greeks are also creep
ing.
If the Tepeleni-Kltsura bastion
falls, large portions Of the Italian
army may find it impossible to
excape to the coast for perilous
embarkation for Italy. Whether
Mussolini could survive the shock
of a new and greater disaster in
ALBANIA remains to be seen. Prime
Minister Churchill, at least, great
" doubts that he could. 4
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