davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-12-01

In q story last Sunday, Mr.. Thomp-
SON, chief of the London Bureau OF
the Associated Press, told hoto euents
of recent tDeeks had encouraged the
British to beliepe In epentudl pictory.
In the toilot0ing article he goes into
the darker side of the situation-the
obstacles Which must be overcome IL
that pictory is to be attained. Mr..
Thompson helped organize the Asso-
cidted Press tOdr coDerdge before the
conflict started and tDds In London
during all the boHlbdrdnlent until he
returned to this country recently.
The question which has greeted me
most since I stepped of the Atlantic
Clipper, fresh from London, has been:
Can the British survivor"
Much has been written about the
morale Of the British people and the
great strength that comes from the fact
that they have lost that kind Of fear Of
bombs and invasion which would lead
to hysteria or surrender.
Something has been said, too. about
the effect of some recent hopeful events
which stimulate that morale. Britain
is in . better mood for the struggle than
she was several months ago.
Some Of the Hard Facts.
Suppose we face some of the hard
facts, now that the oficial censorship
itself is letting some of them out, per-
haps to support their thesis that Britain
viii need credits, not Just purchasing
privileges, if she is to survive:
1. No authoritative spokesman in Eng
land can find reason to say, even in
closest confidence, that he sees any hope
Of war being ended short Of several years.
The British pray for . collapse some-
where in enemy ranks, or for an insur-
rection in occupied territory, but they
have no sure evidence either win come.
z. The bombardment Of London and
other principal cities gradually. slowly
but inexorably pushes its knife into the
nations vitals. It is no use to pretend
that important factories, military estab-
nshments or public utilities have. not
been hit.
A Creeping StranguIation.
sometimes. one Of them is damaged
beyond repair, 80 that it becomes easier
to build new plant than tcy to repair
the old. There Is creeping strangula-
ton at work.
All that is hopeful about it is that, at
It's present rate, 1t would take years to
crush Britain's war power that way.
3. The survival Of British war indus
tries depends upon more than British
morale. pugnacity and training Of work
men; 1t depends largely upon planes and
ships.
The greatly expanded enemy coastline
on the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the
loss Of the French bases between Malta
and Gibraltar and the crisis In the east
ern Mediterranean have made such de-
nands upon the Dritish navy that,
theaoh ~ sE4olnai pow1 = not grsatiy
Evening star., 1940-12-01

way, immediate response to increasingly
serious predicament of empire is not
foreseen clearly.
On Tuesday, Senate Foreign Relations
Chairman George conferred with Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Secre-
Aid to tary of State Hull on this
Britoin matter, but on Wednesday
his committee deferred ac-
ton on possible credit legislation. Sale
or transfer of additional maritime ton
mage, either naval or commercial, are
other possibilities, but time factor is
against British in either case.
Time and cost are vital elements in
building of Americas defenses.
Those concerned primarily with former
element were gravely disturbed last week
as strike of skilled workmen at Vultee
Aircraft plant in Downey, Calf, dragged
near to fortnight, tying up manufacture
of multi million dollar order for fighting
planes. Original strike issue was wage
scale, but sharply etched in background
was charge by Department of Justice
that deadlock had been traced to Com
munist influences among workers.
Compromise settlement of the diff
ferences on Tuesday brought reopening
ferences on Tuesday brought reopening of
factory on Wednesday, but entire incident
Evening star., 1940-12-01

later an even worse assault was rained
from air upon Birmingham, one Of great
industrial cities of world.
Last Sunday night Birmingham re-
ceived second application from the
Luftwaffe and on Monday big southern
port of Southampton was blasted sys-
tematically along its miles and acres of
docks and shipyards. On Thursday night
while Plymouth. Mass, was observing
its New England day Of Thanksgiving
Plymouth. England, received its scourge
of death and destruction. 80
On the same night, Nazi raiders roared
'ceaselessly over Liverpool, principal west
ern port of United Kingdom, shipbuild-
ing center and main port Of entry for
Midland industrial materials
At comparative disadvantage because
Of factors Of distance and scattered 10
cation, British flyers spread
Germony their destruction over wide
Roided spread areas Of Germany,
Netherlands, Belgium and
France. Particular targets on different
nights were industrial facilities at Ham
burg, Essen, Kiel, Wilhelnshaven,
Cologne. Berlin, the so-called invasion
ports of Antwerp, Boulogne, Lorient, lie
Havre, and even as far north as airport
at Christiansund, Norway.
Almost in desultory fashion, long
Evening star., 1940-12-01

full Of devastating military reprisals from
Germany. The hopes of the Turks and
the Yugoslavs that Greece's brilliant de-
fense might have repercussion in North
Africa-where large French Army Is
idling-are fading away.
Italy could have been put out Of action
if her armies in Egypt had shared the
fate of those in Greece. But Gen. Wey-
gand was not approached In the right
manner and the French Colonial Army
is not likely to become involved in this
war in the near future.
The axis fences are being mended rap
idly. Greece and the British forces
which have been so valorous there will
have to meet single-handed an over
whelming German attack. And heroism,
these days, cannot bring final victory.
Evening star., 1940-12-01

range guns growied at each other across
English Channel and Strait of Dover
as NaA batteries shelled Kentish and
Dover coasts while British pounded at
possible embarkation points. In between
British and German destroyer squadrons
brushed on FridayAeach claimed sue
cesses.
At sea, British shipping was being
sunk at rate far greater than presently
estimated requirements as both under
water and surface raiders slipped by
convoy protection to infiict death blows
Lacking support given in previous World
War by merchant fleets Of allied Italy,
France and Japan, plus considerable
merchant tonnage Of then neutral Meth
erlands and Scandinavian countries,
Britain today is gravely concerned over
necessity for greater ocean transport
capacity.
Evening star., 1940-12-01
AIR RAIDS BRING CREEPING STANDARDIZATION
Bdoin, Struggling for Her Life, in Dilemma U. Policy

for the British policy of Understanding
their own successes. A citizenry so eager
for assurance that all goes well, and so
weary from the no longer simple prob
lens of existence. might let down if too
much encouraged. And the government
also asks itself why it should not hull
the enemy with the feeling he is having
most of the successes.
Persons in the government of England
are in fearful dilemma about America
They do not know what policy to pur-
sue about us. If they stress their sue
cesses. they are afraid Americans will
think they are doing very well without
aid. If they stress failures, they are
afraid Americans will think 1t is use
less to waste money and materiel on a
foredoomed island and better to put all
America has into defending home shores.
Now one policy and now the other
gains expression. which is why it all
seems so illogical on this side.
Evening star., 1940-12-01
Electoral College
(Coptin,,ed From pora r-h

candidates for President and Vice Prea-
dent
The motive of States excluding tickets
of electors from the ballot seems to have
been not so much one of reform as a
desire to make scratching of such states
impossible. 1t was found that the local
popularity or unpopularity Of a single
candidate might affect the success of
an entire electoral ticket. Moreover, it
was thought that electors might feel
themselves pledged to vote for the candi-
dates In whose names they were chosen.
At any rate, the 531 electors will meet
at their respective State capitals ION
the first Monday after the second
Wednesday in December" as a Federal
statute directs, and cast separate ballots
for President and Vice President. Each
of the 48 groups will make, sign and cer-
tify II lists, six for each Office. One Of
each pair is for the President of the
United States Senate, two for the Secre-
tary Of State in Washington, two for
the secretary of state of the State, and
one for the Federal Judge of the district
in which the group meets.
At o'clock on the afternoon of JAN
uary 4, the day after the 77th Congress
convenes, the combined membership Of
House and Senate will gather In the
House chamber, with the President of
the Senate as presiding oficer. He will
open the envelopes containing certificates
OF electoral votes in alphabetical order
by States, and hand the contents to
tellers Of both parties, two from each
chamber, who win ascertain and count
the ballots. The presiding oficer win
announce the result. At that moment,
for the first time, the election of Roose-
velt and Wallace will have legally been
They win take ONCE less-
than three weeks later, on January 20.
Evening star., 1940-12-01

is coming from Britain's Mediterranean
fleet and its busy air detachments.
Hammer.ng constantly at italian sup
ply and communication lines, r. A. F.
flyers reported successful raids at Porta
Edda and Albanian Adriatic ports OF
valona, Durazzo and Elbasani. At least
10 Italian planes were reported downed
by Greco-British airmen In 4s-hour mid
week period with admitted loss of two of
allied ships. R. A. f. rout of italian
destroyers shelling Corfu also was
claimed.
And in another phase Of British air
war against this weaker partner of the
Rome Berlin axis, London claimed heavy
Tuesday night damage to Turin, Pied
mont industrial city where Italian auto
mobile and airplane manufacturing is
centered. Rome admitted raid, but
claimed British bombs had missed vital
industrial targets.
On Wednesday came first reports of
clash, between major units of British and
Italian fleets of Sardinia.
Sea Indicating appreciable sue
Bottle cess toward their objective
of driving II Duce's fighting
ships out of mare nostrum," London
Admiralty's version of battle was that
six Italian warships, including new IS 000-
ton battleship and l0,000-ton cruiser, had
been seriously damaged-mostly by tor
pedo bombing by navy flying boats.
Rome countered by claiming damage
to one British battleship, three cruisers
and an aircraft carrier.
AS usual, determination of truth is i'm
possible Immediately, but if British
claims are substantially accurate 1t
means that empire control of important
Mediterranean supply line to Australia,
India and Far East is relatively safe for
many more months.
In furtherance of this objective of es-
tablishing mastery in Mediterranean,
British flyers also repeated previous raids
on italian naval bases at Brindisi and
laramie while Greek and British forces
gathered on Greek island of Crete for
expected assault upon Italian-owned
Dodecanese Islands.
grinding down Rome partner of axis has
been noted by many expert
ltoly's journalistic analysts, but by
Crisis no source more convincingly
than in report issued on Fri
day by Department of Agriculture. Using
confidential information repeatedly OBJ
tanned through diplomatic channels. de-
partment asserted that British blockade
has been so effective in stopping the
flow of supplies needed by Italy that
it has more severely disorganized the
Italian economic structure than any
thing else the war has accomplished"
Not all of last weeks violent deaths
were dealt in course of declared warfare.
In Rumania, Iron Guardists undertook
to purge all their political enemies, most
ly former associates of ex-King Carol.
More than three score political prisoners,
among them former Premier Nicolai
Jorga, fell before firing squads of the ex-
tremists on Wednesday.
Evening star., 1940-12-01

The Germans are proceeding, with the
utmost haste, to mend the holes the
Greek armies have made in the axis
fences by routing the invading legions of
II Duce. The Greeks have caused
sensation in the Balkans. Yugoslavia
and Turkey are getting ready to resist
any attempted encroachment on their
territories by the axis. Moscow is de-
lighted, although no official expression
of this delight has appeared in Soviet
organs. The remaining Independent ma
tions of Southeastern Europe look to the
British to take full advantage of the
italian rout, while Berlin still seems
dazed at the unbelievable inefficiency of
her principal ally in Europe. This situa-
ton has not been properly exploited by
the foes of the axis.
The German colonial troops"-divi-
sions equipped for fighting in the Colo
nies-which had been gathered in Cen
trail Germany to be dispatched to
Trieste and to Spain in a converging
movement against the Suez Canal, have
been ordered to stand by, as their desti-
nation will be changed in the near fu-
ture.
Britain has rushed as much assistance
as can be afforded to the Greeks, but
Britain alone has not sufficient power to
take advantage of the temporary con-
fusion which reigns in the axis camp.
Pressure Applied by Axis.
The Germans have taken the situation
In hand rapidly The three countries
through which any operation in the
Near East must be made-Hungary, Ru-
mania and Bulgaria-were coerced by
the axis. That is to say, Hungary and
Bulgaria, which are taking hints from
Moscow, were promised definite advan-
tages if they did not oppose the advance
of the German armies toward the East
ern Mediterranean.
King Boris of Bulgaria was invited"
10 Berchtesgaden, where he had long
talk with the Fuehrer. He was told that
in the event the Bulgarian Army is will
ing to join the Germans in an advance
toward Greece, their reward would be the
port of Dedeagach and the region Of
Kavalla.
Dedeagach has been Bulgaria's Danzig
since 1918. 1t is her only outlet to the
Mediterranean and it has been In the
possession of Greece since the end of the
second Balkan war.
Boris is reported to have accepted the
German offer-despite his personal SYM
pathies-but asked time for consultation
with Moscow in regard to the active CO.
operation OF Bulgaria in this war. Here
tofore the U. S. S. r. government has
indicated to Sofia that it was opposed
to any disturbance of the peace Of the
balkans. Hence, before any definite
military agreement between Berlin and
Soma could be made, the approval Of
Joseph Stain was necessary. Hitler &C.
Evening star., 1940-12-01
Mediterranean Front

Although this chaotic conflict is un-
doubtedly being won or lost in the skies
and In the factories of Britain, develop
ments in the Balkan -Mediterranean
sector continued last week to supply
spectacular and more swiftly moving
action.
Described by that war-sophisticated
reporter Leland Stowe as "the happiest
troops have seen in Is months of war;"
Greek forces by the beginning of last
week had chased all of Mussolinis
valiant legionnaires pell nell out of the
historic province of Epirus, from whence
King Pyrrhus more than 1000 years ago
launched successful war against Rome.
In Italian-occupied Albania, where
native inhabitants have shown no en-
thusiasm for months over
ltoIion protection" accorded them
Retreot by II Duce's black shirt
boys, Greek cavalry last
Monday reported themselves in Pogra-
detz, 80 miles inside Albania, but unable
to locate main body of retreating Ital-
ians For rest of week, this village near
Yugoslavian frontier was one of three
hubs around which this Balkan conflict
revolved. Commanding main highway
between Greece and Albanian capital Of
Tirana, Pogradetz was considered impor-
tant military objective.
Westward, in Pindus Mountain sector,
Greeks early in week claimed capture of
Frasheri, Is miles into Albania.
But probably more vital to success of
Agirocastro, principal south Albanian
base for Italian forces and key to con-
tinued Italian tenure of Porta Edda, on
Strait of Otranto. Occupying advan-
tageous positions above Agirocastro on
Monday, attacking Greeks threatened
town through rest of week. On Wednes-
day, Fascist command reported its 42d
Regiment, crack Rome outfit pledged to
die before surrendering in front lines"
of its rear guard action, but Greek COM
muniques later claimed that a four-hour
hand-to-hand bayonet engagement had
resulted in dispersal" of Roman unit.
Thousands of Italian prisoners were
reported taken by Greeks on these three
small fronts, along with great quantities
of mechanized equipment and other
materiel.
For their part, Italian headquarters
offered little contradiction to Greek
claims of successes beyond
Rome Is asserting that successful
Retirent counter attacks" had been
made on several occasions.
In one instance, Rome reported that
force of Greek troops landing on Adriatic
coast of Albania had been 'cut to pieces"
but Athens argued that expedition had
carried out its mission without being
In the least bothered
Believed fighting with Greeks or lend
ing material aid in some fashion are
British outfits, probably Australians.
Principal assistance to Greeks, however,
Evening star., 1940-12-01
NAZI ARMY IS SEEN MOVING ON GREECE SOON
soonko IdeoI Mediterranean Roine Bose Be First Objective
By Constantine Brofcn.

cepted this reservation of the Bulgarian
King, fully confident that the Red dicta-
tor would not oppose the realization Of
the Bulgarian expansionist dreams.
In the meantime, the German army is
making swift preparations to embark on
a winter campaign against Greece, with
the port of Salonika as its principal
objective.
German Army Prepares.
According to the most recent reports
from the Balkans the German Army in
Rumania proper consists of something
like Is divisions. These reports do not
indicate how many divisions are at the
present in Hungary, but it is safe to as
sumo that, since Hungary and Rumania
have signed a definite agreement with
Berlin making them part of the axis,
they will not refuse to send some of
their own troops, should the German
high command need them.
In responsible military quarters here
it is fully expected that the German
Armies will move against Greece in the
course of the next few weeks to save
Italy's prestige. From certain move
ments in the Danubian ports, 1t Is be-
lieved that the German advance against
Greece will be along the Struma Valley,
which has a military road and rail-
road. Both can be kept open in the win
ter time. Thus, the maintenance of the
line of communication for supplies will
not present insurmountable difficulties.
The crossing of the Rhodope Mountains,
while difficult proposition at this time
of the year, it not as complicated as the
crossing Of the Balkan Mountains in the
event Of an offensive against Turkey.
Moreover, the necessity of re-establish-
ing the situation in the Balkans, badly
shaken by the italian defeat, is paralleled
by another reason for the Germans wish
ing to get to Salonika There is every
indication that the Germans will attempt
to wage war of attrition against Great
Britain In the course Of the next few
months Another attempt to land in the
isles will not be made until next spring.
In the meantime, the Germans intend to
hammer at the British power of resist
British Isles and an attack against the
Suez Canal.
Solonika Ideal for Raiding.
Salonika is ideally situated for raiding
the Eastern Mediterranean. The Ger
mans had hoped that the l25 Italian
submarines in the Mediterranean would
seriously interfere with the British con-
voys in that section. But. for some rea-
son or other, the activity Of those sub
marines has been practically nil. The
Germans intend to send submarines in
section to salonika, where they will be
put together and used to raid the British
lines of communication through the -Sues
Canal.
4 German hvastno e oseeoe thEough |
Evening star., 1940-12-01

Bulgaria appears now to be inevitable.
The mid-November diplomatic moves
which ended In the expansion of the axis
to the Danubian Valley and the Black
Sea were only the prelude to military
action which should bring the whole of
Eastern Europe into the pocket of Ger
many. 1t is admitted that, brave as the
Greek Army is, the Greek high command
cannot meet an attack through the Rho
dope Mountains and also maintain its
success against the italians. Mussolini
is now reorganizing the debris of his
force in Albania. OF the ITS 900 men who
started the march on Athens there are
barely 100000 troops left. But reinforce
ments are being speeded up and it is
quite possible that German troops sta
toned in the neighborhood of Trieste
will be sent into Albania to: stiffen up
the fighting spirit of the Italians.
The British are doing their utmost to
help the Greeks. More troops than they
can really afford have been sent from
Egypt and Palestine to Hellas. Salo-
nika is being fortified as speedily as pos
sible. Every advantage has been taken
Of the mountains and the lakes which
form an admirable natural barrier
against an invading army. But there is
little hope that the Greeks and the Brit
ish together will be able to do more than
resist for while when opposing the
combined forces which are now threat
ening Greece.
Yugoslav Army Crippled.
There is equally little hope that the
Yugoslavs and the Turks will be able to
do anything constructive for their
friends. Yugoslavia is in a precarious
position. The fact that the Italians are
trying to stir up the old feud between
Croatians and Serbs is of much less i'm
portance than the fact that the Yugo-
slav Army has no equipment with which
to fight modern war. The plan of q
joint defense action of the Yugoslav and
Greek Armies against any encroachment
from outside had to be abandoned. A
survey of the supplies available in Yugo-
slavia showed that the army had no
chance against the mechanical and well
supplied German forces.
Turkeys only hope is to defend its own
territory. There have been reports from
Ankara that Turkey would come to the
assistance Of Greece, in the event that
Bulgaria became involved in war. But
military observers In Europe, considering
the lack of adequate arsenals in that
country. doubt very much whether the
Ankara government could do more than
defend itself against an active aggression.
The discouraged attitude which pre-
walls now in these two countries which
were supposed only three weeks ago to
be the mainstays Of Britain's resistance
In the Eastern Mediterranean is due to
the realization that each drop Of mill
tary assistance that Is Forthcoming from
oeoat 0R4tain = answered WIN Q buele9.