The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-10-23

That he has a good air force is
recognized. but it's reasoned that
il must be insufficient TO Offset his
enemys maritime superiority or II
would have done so already. And
Germany doesn't signify at all In
the Mediterranean. II has planes,
to be sure, but they're overly busy
elsewhere.
There are, indeed, alternative
routes from Axis soil Suezward,
one of them entirely overland
across the Balkans and southern
Russia, between the Black and
Caspian seas, over the Caucasus
mountains and then through Tur-
KEY and Syria. But that's an i'm
possible distance. Moreover, Rus
STA most probably would object,
and Turkey most certainly.
Or the Axis forces might trav-
erse the Balkans to the Black sea;
thence by water to the northern
Turkish coast.
Or, again, they might trek
through the Balkans to the Bospor-
us, the Mediterranean sub-sea Of
Marmora or the Dardanelles and
ferry themselves over to Turkey.
Russia a Thorn
The Axis gang probably could
navigate the Black sea without any
British interference, though it's
not unlikely that Comrade Stain
would object, despite his extreme
" loose tie-up with Herr Hitler
and Benito. And maybe Axis fight
ers could get across the Bosporus,
Marmora or the Dardanelles. Those
are wee bits Of water.
However. the little Balkan coun-
tries are first to be reckoned with.
Hitler and Mussolini have some
Of them already actually occupied
or intimidated. Others, though,
like Yugoslavia and Greece act
scrappy. Still, it's no safe bet that
they, too. can't be bulldozed-pro-
vided they don't get backing from
Russia. That they won't get it is
no safe bet, either.
But. finally, how about Turkey?
The Turks behave as viciously
anti-Asis as so many fighting
cocks.
The Balkan peoples can scrap
formidably among themselves, but
they're unequal to wage up-to-date
warfare and they know 1t; they
can be scared. The Russians. also
good scrappers. are incompetently
led. II undistracted by a western
war, the Germans presumably
could lick EN-.
The Turks, though? Those birds
have been underestimate. They've
been misrepresented likewise. They
are nice folk normally. l visited
'em while they were having their
revolution, which overthrow Abdul
Hamid. Louis Einstein, q subse-
quently very distinguished career
diplomat, was the first secretary
OF our embassy In Constantinople
(now IstanbuD. A mild kind Of
anarchy reigned. There wasn't
any government. Yet there wasn't
any disorder. | asked Louis how
he accounted for the responsibility
Of everything. IT'S due" he said.
ito the natural peaceful nature of
the Turks" And he knew the
country.
Tough When Aroused
But beware the fury OF a pa
hent man" When those Turks
take the warpath they're a sure
enough handful In the last war
they were on Germany's side, the
British tried to lick EN- at the
Dardanelles. and Winston Churchill
himself couldn't do It.
This time they're committed to
the democratic defense Of Suez.
and they number 100000 bay
onets.
Oh, yes, Hitler and Mussolini,
left 10 themselves, no doubt can
wallop Russia or Turkey, either
one Of them. Our military critics,
though. say it's no 100 per cent
gamble that they can wallop the
Turks alone. at such long range,
with Britain chewing at EN- from
the onnosite direction
Hence. the experts guess that