Evening star., 1940-04-21
Germans scandinavian Success
Spurs 1taly's Balkan Ambitions
Hitler and Mussolini Seen Linking Territorial
Aims by Striking Swiftly at Small,
Helpless Neutral Nations
By Constantine Broom.

on account Of the prospect Of q serious
setback.
On the other hand, the allies still be-
neve that In the event OF q war develop
ing in the Balkans, their main base of
operations would be at the important
Greek port Of Salonika and therefore
they have done everything in their power
to gain Greece to their side. That hav-
ing failed, from the present disposition
Of the Italian fleet an attempt to conque.
Greece seems more than likely in the
event Of Italy deciding to get into this
war.
Not only are the Italian naval forces
gathered at point only "A hours from
Salonika, but In recent weeks important
reinforcements- estimated at between
10000 and $4,000 men-have been sent
to Albania, whence they could swoop
down into Greece. 1t is true that the
Italian government explained that the
fresh troops sent into Albania were in
tended to replace battalions which had
been there since the occupation of that
country by II Duce and had to be re-
patriated, but observers in Italy have not
seen as yet single man return from
King zog's erstwhile dominion.
Mussolini's Strategy.
In military quarters it is considered
bined sea and land operation is going 10
be attempted by II Duce in the belief
that this can be done with impunity.
The allies are deeply engaged at the
present time in Norway. They are get
ting ready to intervene in the Low Lands
in the event Germany decides to invade
Holland and must be ready for a Ger
man attack against the Maginot Line.
The British fleet is engaged in the
North Atlantic and cannot spare impor-
tant units for the Mediterranean While
British sea power is still supreme, there
is no doubt that its striking force has
been somewhat impaired since the out
break of the war by the loss of several
units-either sunk or damaged
Because Of the possibility Of German
coup the French high command has dis
patched to the Mediterranean, since last
WCCh3 WIG AAlAeo WlllSil WClC
with the British fleet in the North At
lantic-the Dunquerque is rumored to
be one of them.
Whether the British have any impor-
tant units in the Roman Mare Nostrum
Is uncertain. But Italy has navy much
larger and stronger than the German
This feet concentrated on one point is
a serious match for the combined allied
forces in the Mediterranean.
The Italians have in commission at
dhree of the latest type and four re-
constructeO as against nine French. But
Of the French ships several are old tuts
built % years ago. These have not been
modernized by the French.
Italy's Fleet Good.
So far as cruisers are concerned tt,
Italians have eight heavy cruisers -
seven French, while the French have 4
numerical but not qualitative superiority
in light cruisers. having IA such vessels
against Italys IL. The Italians have a
definite superiority in destroyers Q02,
against the French 1927 and the same
thing applies to submarines, the French
having 102 such vessels against 1T
Italian.
The French auxiliary force is undoubt-
edly reinforced by number of British
units, but because of the present opera
tions it is difficult to ascertain how many.
The Greek Navy is of no consequence in
the event of an Italian coup against
that country.
There is no doubt that in the Mediter-
ranean, with the British heavily engaged
in the Atlantic, Italy is first-class naval
power which can boast to have at its
mercy any country like Greece with a
long sea coast.
In Paris and in London it is feared
that if the Italian government is con-
vinced that the Germans have been sue
cessful in Scandinavia-that is to say,
If the allied expeditionary force in Scan
dinavia does not produce some tangible
military results swiftly-there is more
than an even chance that Italy will at
tempt to do to Greece what she has done
to Albania. what the Russians have done
to Finland, what the Germans intend 10
do to the Nordic neutrals.