Evening star., 1940-10-18
Axis May Aid
Foe by Drive
Into Balkans
Near Eust Thrust
Might Prove
A Boomerang
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE.


NEWS ITEM: ISTANBUL, Tur.
key, Oct. 18.-The Turkish radio
Government controIed) Udrns
the arts polCerS that II they at
tempt driUe across the Dordd-
nelleS to Egypt and the Suez
Canal. they ,DiU find Turkey
tougher nut to crack than the
Netherlands, Belgium or France.
The threatened axis thrust down
the Balkans into the Near East
naturally creates another danger
to the life of the British Empire but,
on the basis that it's a nasty wind
which doesn't cool the fevered brow
at all, I can see some benefit for
England-much benefit if Hitler ana
MuSsolini start their push and are
stopped at the Dardanelles.
In order TO make this clear
must remind you again that Eng
land is depending on her control Of
the seas to pull her through the
war. She's banking on her naval
blockade to strangle the enemy.
Conquests Become Liability.
This being so, the destruction or
dissipation of enemy supplies, while
the blockade prevents replacements,
is all to the good for Britain. That's
simple arithmetic.
Now when the Nazi and Fascist
armies are on the move, they're
burning up precious military sup
plies. The minute actual fighting
starts, stores melt like ice thrown
onto red-hot stove.
But that's only part Of the pic
ture. When Hitler occupies a coun-
try Gas he has Rumania, for exam
ple) its true that he may profit at
the outset by fresh supplies. It's
equally true, however, that the oc-
cupied country soon is exhausted
by this extra burden and becomes
liability to Nazidom.
Exactly that has happened in
every one of the countries which
Hitler has overrun in Western Eu-
rope. He soon will have to feed
them out of his own pantry, let them
starve, or persuade somebody else
to feed them.
Sees Hard Blow at Reich.
But there's still more to it. Every
one Of these countries. when free,
was working like a beaver TO create
supplies for the omnivorous German
market. In rendering them impo-
tent the Nazis have killed the geese
which were laying the golden eggs.
The fruitful Balkans long have
been among Germany's essential
sources of supplies, especially for
iooostuffs and Rumanian oil.
The great falling off in supplies
available has been a grieyous blow
TO the Reich. Complete stoppaee.
due to the holocaust which bids fair
10 sweep the Balkans, would put
Herr Hitler on tough spot.
That why say that an upheava1
IN the Balkans will benefit England
providing that Turkey. with the
naval aid Of Britain, holds the axis
forces at the Dardanelles.
But supposing the dictators do
break through into the Near East?
Well, that will increase Britains
danger and add to the resources of
the AXIS powers. Still, it doesn't
necessarily mean that they can
reach the Suez Canal. which i. a
vital link in Britain's lifeline of en-
pre- and naturally one Of the prin-
clpal axis goals in the battle of the
Mediterranean.
Desert Is Natural Barrier.
Ihere seems to be a fairly wide
spread impression that if the Ger
man and Italian forces can get into
syria and Palestine, there's nothing
TO prevent them from sweeping on
to the canal. However. having
worked as war correspondent with
the British Army of the Near East
on the canal during the World War
had 1t thrust upon me very forci-
bly, that there's plenty to discourage
an army 10 the east Of the big ditch.
That is the Sinai Desert-a water
less, smoking he'll if ever there was
one. It's as fine natural defense
from attack from the East as the
Sahara is for assault from the West
A railway has been built along tn,
coast from Egypt to Palestine and
the British last year projected a
highway which may have been COM
pleted, but neither of these would
solve the difficulties Of an invading
army
Thus on the whole I should saw
that the British aren't dismaved
because Of the likelihood of the war
spreading to the Balkans.