Evening star., 1940-05-05
u. S. Fears Reverses Of Allies
Will Lengthen Wars Shadow
Washington Worries What and Where Next Move
Will Be, With Possible japanese Steps
in Pacific Chief Concern
By C0nsfanfine Brown.

The developments in Norway Of last
week are causing real concern In high
quarters In Warrington. This concern
Is not due to any particular feeling OF
partisanship for the allies. It Is due to
the fact that the more helpless the
allies prove themselves in facing the
German war machine, the closer the
shadow Of war comes to the United
States.
So far the British-French high COM
mand has not shown any particular
sharpness in Its war policies. On the
contrary, 1t gives the impression that at
least In London-the headquarters of the
alliance-the leaders are somewhat con-
fused and haphazard. The old slogan
that Britain loses all the battles except
the last one" seems to be deeply i'm
bedded in the minds of the British Prime
Minister and war co-ordinators. Against
this, there is in the other camp-the
axis-a remarkable synchronization of
action.
Adolf Hitler Is an able stage manager
who gives his fellow actors the cue Just
in time to enable them to make a sue
cessful on-stage appearance. His asso-
ciates. whom wishful thinkers like to
call unreliable, appear overawed by his
ability both in the diplomatic and mill
tary fields. Whether the progress Of the
war SO far has shown Hitler as a re-
markable stage manager or whether his
successes are due to the lack Of prepara-
ton on the part Of his opponents is i'm
material SO far as we are concerned. The
fact that the axis is holding together is
disquieting the men at the head Of our
affairs in Washington.
Two Other Actors Waiting.
The axis has made few false moves.
After the conquest of Poland, Russia
played its sister-act in Finland. 1t was
q somewhat badly rehearsed affair be-
cause Stain had joined the company
only few months earlier, but he man
aged to walk through his part because
nobody was able to come to Finland's
assistance.
There are two other actors who are
now in the wings waiting for their turn
to come into the limelight. One is
signor Mussolini. who has about COM
pleted putting his war paint on and Is by
way Of girding on his sword to make
spectacular entry. The other is Emperor
Hirohito. who has been playing "in the
sticks" since 1881 and may get into big
time" by moving his feet into the South
Pacific to protect" the Dutch East
Indies.
1t Is the latter who worries the high
omcials in Washington. Any definite
move on the part of the Toxic military
to assume protection" Of Java and Su-
matra may force this country to take
drastic measures to prevent such a pro
tection." even at the price Of an inter-
vention.
What Italy and Japan are going to
do, however, depends upon how success
ful the Germans are going to be In the
next few weeks.
The dispatches which have reached
this country from the warfront in Nor
way are fully indicative that the allied
forces which were landed to attack
Trondheim from the North and the
South lacked proper equipment and
training.
Political Tempest In London.
Behind this eyewitness story there
Is political tempest which has Just
blown in London. It appears that when
the British cabinet found out that the
Germans had entered Norway there was
q good deal Of hustle and hustle at 10
Downing street. The French and British
leaders were aware of the disastrous ef-
feet the conquest Of Norway, without op-
position from the allies, would have on
the other neutrals. Those neutrals, such
as the Dutch, the Belgians and some Of
the Balkan nations. have been assured
with finality by the allies that they would
be completely protected against q Ger
man invasion.
It was necessary, the dynamic war CO.
ordinator Winston Churchill decided,
that an allied force be rushed immedi-
ately to Norway to dislodge the Ger
mans. In this analysis he was right. II
the allies had been able to force Hitler
out OF Norway the allied prestige would
have been so enhanced that the neutrals
would not hesitate to put up a much
sitter front to the ever-increasing Ger
man demands. italy and Japan would be
discouraged and, while nobody expects
italy to hop on the Franco-BriEish band
wagon, Mussolini would think twice be-
fore he abandoned his comfortable non
belligerent status.
But the generals who despised the