Evening star., 1940-07-21
Fighting Fronts

ssS
The Mediterranean Sea, where the
great ancient empires of Greece and
Rome were fashioned. provided the prin-
cipal stage of warfare last week in the
British battle to preserve the British
Empire. For the British Isles the Medi-
terranean is lifeline, and poking down
into the Mediterranean is the long, lean
form of Italy. one Of the two nations
with which the British are at war.
Across from the boot of italy is part
of Italy's African empire, sandy Libya.
At the seas eastern end is the rock of
Gibraltar, sturdy British fortress which
the British use to protect their navy's
ingress into and egress from the Medi-
terranean. Libya, the rock and the
British Mediterranean squadron, as well
as British airships operating from
friendly Egypt, were all involved in the
weeks activity. So, too, was Palestine,
the Holy Land, held by Britain as
mandate territory.
All the Mediterranean action, as well
rs the flares of battle far south in
Africa, in the Anglo
Gibroltor Egyptian Sudan and the
ImperiIed British colony Of Kehya'
was indecisive. Most
portentous was the threat against Gil
hraltar, because this action suggested
shat soon England may be fighting a
trio of enemies, Spain as we'll as Ger
many and Italy. On Monday and again
on Thursday totalitarian bombers dropped
their charges on the fortress. Thurs
day three civilians were killed. That
day in Madrid 100000 Spanish workers,
parading in celebration of the fourth
anniversary of the Nationalist revolu-
tion that put Gen. Francisco Franco in
charge of Spain, shouted in rhythm:
Gibraltar! SPANISH"
Spain lost Gibraltar to England by
che Peace of Utrecht, 17l3. Ringing in
the ears of the paraders in Madrid
were the words of Gen. Franco that he
considers 1t the duty and mission" of
his regime to recapture the rock for
Spain and then to expand the Spanish
Empire In Africa. Twice the Spaniards
have besieged the rock since 17l3. and
twice failed to get it. But now, said
Gen. Franco, Spain has 100000
soldiers ready to face any one and to
support Spain's rights" Formally,
Spain is yet neutral But German
Soldiers are on Spanish ground.
During the week the italian govern
ment issued summary of the naval
war between Italy and England in the
Mediterranean Tho
Britain, said Rome. was: /. The Hood,
largest warship afioat, anchored near
Gibraltar, hit squarely three times by
aerial bombs. 2. One hit on the 22600,-
ton aircraft carrier Ark Royal. 3. One
destroyer and one cargo ship sunk.
1. Two battleships, four cruisers, two
aircraft carriers and two destroyers
struck S. Five airplanes shot down
and 10 others destroyed or damaged
abroad bombed aircraft carriers.
The British partially confirmed the
italian count, although London denies
the damage to the Hood,
Action which Spain says has suf-
l,l;hv. fered grave injury to its
turrets. The Royal Air
Force in Egypt claimed direct hits on
two large naval oil tanks in British
air attack on Tobruk in Libya. The
italians bombed Haifa, Palestine, with
10 planes, killing one Arab and injuring
another Arab seriously. High in the
sky over the sea off Southern Italy,
italian and British planes met In
dog fight, with 20 italian bombers
downed, according to the communique
issued at Alexandria, Egypt, by the
British Mediterranean fleets chief.
Almost 1000 miles below alexandria,
the company of Kings African Rifles
Withdrew from the garrison of Moyale,
q frontier town with red clay buildings,
In Kenya on the border of Italian East
Africa formerly Ethiopia). For three
weeks they had resisted siege by the
italians. The news reached America
Wednesday. The incident occurred Sun
day. Rome claimed the Italian troops
pursued the retiring British in flight
from Moyale. A British communique
from Nairobi, the Kenya capital, said:
"Our garrison in British Moyale. which
had been surrounded for the last five
days, withdrew last night according to
plan and without incident" The Brit
ish air force in Egypt sent bombers to
drop their disturbing loads on the 1tal-
aans holding Moyale, and the British
bombers raided Italian stores and bar
racks In Eritrea, in Northern italian East
Africa along the Red Sea.
The Italian accounts of this wide
spread war Of empires uniformly have
been more exultant than the
Britoin British. The Italians claimed
Reody the capture Of Kessan in An
glo-Egyptian Sudan. The
British. however. retain their calm and
their determination. The week which
ended on the threatening speech by Hit
Ter opened with q fighting speech by
Churchill. In broadcast to the British
Empire and the United States, Church.
III said that Britain must prepare, not
only for the summer but for the winter,
not only for l941 but for 1912, when the
war will, trust, take q different form
from the defensive In which it has
hitherto been bound" Looking, toward
the invasion which Hitler later prom
ised would come and disdaining the ap-