Evening star., 1940-11-15
by FRED vANDERsCHdIDT.

ny NEIL VANO6AOV0N01Ox
The obvious story between the
meeting Of the German ana Italian
high commands in Innsbruck today
is that Mussolini has asked Hitler
for help against the Greeks.
That he needs 1t urgently there is
no doubt. The Greeks are reported
to be advancing into Albania on .
100-mile front. and there Is q very
real threat that they may cut OF
Southern Albania. Conceivably. the
Italians could be trapped there q
was the B. Z. T. In Flanders.
British warships and planes have
hampered italian supplies and re-
inforcements in the Strait Of Otran-
to: half Of Italy's capital ships are
reported to lie manned and water
logged in the naval base of Taranto,
victims Of British aerial torpedoes.
That Hitler will help his axis part
ner must be taken for granted, not
because he especially wants to res
cue II Duce from the Greeks. but
because the axis is slipping badly in
the Mediterranean.
It is in the Mediterranean and
Near East that this war may be won
or lost.
Gibraltar Assault Likely.
Here are the places to watch for
an axis counter stroke:
1. A German march through Bull
garia and possibly Southern Yugo-
Slavia on Salonika, to cut of the
Greeks now on or over the Albanian
border. If this takes place, the Ger
mans will be careful not to embroil
Turkey for tie time being, because
Hitler and Russia's Moloton seem to
have agreed on gradual persuasion"
Of the guardian Of the Dardanelles.
2. A German dash to Albania
through Eastern Yugoslavia. This
presents extreme difficulties Of dis
tance and terrain, and does not seem
feasible.
3. Tremendous reinforcement Of
the italians in Albania by German
troops proceeding through italy and
across the Adriatic. The British
Navy and air force would have
plenty to say about this, and they
would talk with shells and bombs,
unless they can be drawn away,
which leads to:
4. The possibility of the long-ex-
pected German assault on Gibraltar.
through docile Spain, not only to
draw British naval and air power
away from Greece and italy, but to
seal the Mediterranean and permit
the axis to launch their offensive
on SueZ.
Serrano Suner in Paris.
There is more than conjecture to
support the imminence Of an axis
smash at Gibraltar.
Ramon Serrano Suner. the No.
axis man in Spain, has gone to
Paris to see the Germans. Spain
already has grabbed Tangier, the
internationalized zone across the
Strait from the Rock.
Units of the French fleet are re-
ported to have left their Toulon
Southern France, base for Africa.
These units are under the 1mme-
diate control of Admiral Jean Dar-
Ian. the French Naval Minister. who,
with Vice Premier Pierre Laval. long
has been reported as itching to use
them against the British.
There is reason to suspect that
Laval and Darlan may have made
a secret agreement with the Ger
mans to utilize these ships when
ever the Germans called for them.
Actually. they might not have to
fire a shot in order to immobilize
a considerable section Of the British
fleet at a time when British war
ships would be needed desperately
elsewhere.
In this way the French fleet
would take the place Of Mussolini's
boarded battleships, which have lost
this usefulness since the British raid
on Taranto.
May PrecipitAte Crisis.
If this is true about the French
fleet, 1t may precipitate . crisis