Evening star., 1940-11-12
BY FRED VANDERSCHMIDT.

The Italian reverse in the Greek
adventure-the Greeks call it
rout-permits speculation on these
interesting possibilities:
|. 1t may be the last time Mus
Solini's troops march alone, and it
may be the end of his dream of a
Mediterranean hegemony all of his
own.
2. 1t gives the British a superb
opportunity to strike hard at the
Italians in East Africa and free the
Suez from the Italian threat.
1t is hard to escape the surmise
that Italy invaded Greece under
German promptings: as a feint to
sew up the British fleet in the
Eastern Mediterranean. draw British
Near-Eastern troops into Greece as
the British were drawn into the
unhappy Norwegian campaign and
weaken the British so they could
not withstand twin axis offensive
on the SueZ and Gibraltar.
Likewise. with all respect for the
valorous Greek resistance. il seems
more than likely that the Italians
began their incurSi0n into Greece
Is days ago with a singular lack
of enthusiasm and preparation.
May Have to Ask Help.
Now that the Italians have
stubbed their toes or the rocks of
Northern Greece and punctured
their midriffs on the bayonet points
of the Greek mountain infantry,
they may have to call for Ger
man help.
This can come in two ways, and
in neither will the consequences be
happy, in the long run, for II Duce.
Germany's troops can descend
through Bulgaria (Which isn't in a
position to object into Eastern
Greece. This depends on Russia.
and it is quite likely that the Ger
mans are talking to NJ. Molotoff
about it in Berlin today. If Ger
many goes through Albania she
needs assurances of Russian neu-
trality and she needs Russian help
to keep Turkey neutral Germany
wants no fight with Turkey just
now, much less one with Russia.
If the risk Of this route is too
great the Germans may pour
through Italy and the Adriatic tc
Albania and Greece (the route
through Yugoslavia probably would
present difficulties of terrain.
Lack of Enthusiasm.
If that happens, it may be per-
missible to wonder how the people
of Italy would like the spectacle of
a German march-through. 1t IS not
likely their enthusiasm would eX-
ceed the dead-pan greeting which
the people of Berlin extended today
to NJ Molotoff, Premier of a gov
eminent which they once were told
was the arch foe of everything
German.
In any event. there the German
troops would be, either in Italy's
front parlor or her watery front
yard, and they wouldn't be leaving
soon. Whatever Mediterranean cam
paigns were fought by the axis from
that time on, the Germans would
dominate and take a proportionate
share of the spoils.
So far in this war Hitler has had
little active military help from
either the Italian army or the Ital-
ian fleet. The time is likely to come
when ne will insist on expending
both, and doing it his own way.
The British have snreWdly avoid
ed rushing blindly into Greece and
weakening their greater Mediter-
rarean position. They are frank
about it. Winston Churchill has
promised, 1--WE will do our best TO
help the Greeks, by air and by sea
from a new base on the Greek island
of Crete But he has asked every
one to remember "the very serious
preoccupations that dominate us
both at home and in the Middle
East"
The Italians have vast army