davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-01-12
Bv Leslie Hore-BeHsha.

itself To assure their transport across
the sea is now out of the question.
Second object OF British policy is the
complete defeat of the Italians in Africa
1t is ironical to reflect that this will be
accomplished by means of the conmuni-
cations the Italians themselves have
constructed Libya is spanned from east
to west by road stretching from Tripoli
to Sollum. LAO miles. and indeed one
of the greatest engineering achievements
since Roman times. The whole of it is
exposed to British naval attack.
This makes it all the more incompre-
hensible that Mussolini should have
shown such a lack Of foresight in in
volving Greece. thereby presenting the
keys of victory to his enemy. How thor
oughly he transformed the situation
against himself is put into relief by
reference to the picture which he painted
of Rome two months ago.
THE defeat of the English in British
Somaliland," he then boasted. has been
complete. Fascist forces have taken the
initiative and all the British attempts to
create disorder in the italian African
empire have failed miserably. In Libya,
also, it was the Italian Army which at
tackled, and the swift occupation of Sidi
Barrani must not be considered the con-
clusion, but merely the prologue"
Boasts of Air Power.
He claimed that his navy was protect
ing the lines of communication in the
Mediterranean and in the Adriatic in
such an efficient manner that the British
Navy had been unable to interrupt them.
THE Italian air force he concluded, lis
now as always fully equal to its task. 1t
dominates the sky
If that were the situation as the Duce
could describe it two months ago, what
will it be two months from now?
Revolt in Abyssinia has begun. South
African forces are massing Italian East
Africa is completely cut off from all sup
plies. Vanished is the prospect of break
ing the British blockade. Frustrated is
the hope-the only other means of
preservation-of forcing land route
through Egypt ana tne SUDAN.
1t only rests with Britain now to con-
tinue to exploit the splendid series of
successes and dominate her adversary
finally before the hot weather. which
comes in the spring, makes conditions
of desert warfare more arduous The
powerful combinatio of three services
sea, land. ail-should by that time have
severed the axis.
The advantages which will accrue to
Britain will not be confined to reopening
the Suez Canal route, with consequent
saving of time in voyages eastward, and
to release naval units for countering
commerce raiders in the Atlantic. The
effects may we'll be more far-reaching.
So long as Britain has naval preoccu-
pations in the Mediterranean, she cam
not spare for the Far East fleet of the
Evening star., 1941-01-12
By Constantine Brown.

up to the beginning of this week he had
seemingly not decided which course to
follow
In the meantime. the German high
command has almost completed all the
necessary preparations for an invasion.
The French coast from Belgium to Spain
has become a military camp. The in
habitants in Normandy and Brittany.
who live within 26 miles of the coast,
have been ordered to evacuate their
homes. The towns and villages within
so miles of the coast have been isolated
and the population is not permitted to
leave the area in which it lives, thus
making it difficult for the British intel
lgence services to report accurately the
point of concentration of the German
forces
The same thing applies to the Nor
wegian coast, whence a force might be
sent to attack Scotland. The lombard
ment of Ireland is rated diversion to
keep the British guessing where the Ger
mans will attempt to land first The
guess of our own military observers is
that the Germans will attempt to land
troops in force at several points along
the coast. The success of such an at
tempt would depend largely on the
secrecy Of the troop movements.
Lull in Sub Warfare.
The German submarines have not been
active during the past few weeks In
some quarters, where wishful thinking is
prevalent, this relative inactivity of the
German U-boats was ascribed to the be-
lief that oil is lacking. The truth, ac-
cording to reliable reports, is that the
German naval command has called
heavy percentage of the submarines
home to be refitted for the new cam
paign. In the meantime, large number
of pocket submarines with short cruis-
ing radius and with small crews have
been completed in the various German
navy yards. These vessels, carrying only
three or four torpedo tubes, can become
dangerous to the British Navy which
must stand watch and assist the land
To the submarines will be added the
mosquito torpedo boatS-Small, fast
super-launches. These ships are based
on ports from the Norwegian coast to the
Bay of Biscay. Some have gone to their
stations by sea, others have been sent
by rail and have been put together in
the many naval bases the Germans have
now in France-and possibly in Spain.
Guns from the Maginot Line have been
transported to the west coast to enable
the Germans to start barrage fire when
their troops have landed in certain loca-
tions. Large quantities of materiel are
being gathered in special subterranean
dumps which have been constructed by
the German labor corps since the fall
of France.
These details, which have reached
Washington from usually reliable sources,
Evening star., 1941-01-12

make observers believe that the portion
of the German high command which
favors an invasion of the isles now is
confident that it will prevail over the
generals who believe in the war of
attrition. The former group is said to
have the complete support of Marshal
Hermann Goering, who is reported to be
supervising personally the preparations
for the bolder and bloodier course.
The general trend of thought in the
German high commando trend which
is said to be understood by Hitler-is
that without the destruction of Britain,
Germanys victories up to the present
time can have no lasting effect.
1t is for this reason that the defeats
of Italy in Egypt and in Albania are not
taken dramatically by Berlin. The only
important consequence they may have
would be Frances decision to join the
British in Africa But for the time be-
ing there are no such indications. Petain
and his SSociates-Admiral Darlan,
Gen. Huntziger and Gen. Weygand-are
trying to salvage what is left of France
and her empire. 1t would take total
Nazi defeat to swing the French into
action against the Germans again
Reich Mistrusts Soviet.
But the situation is little different
in the East. On the surface, at least,
Russia is still on good terms with the
Reich. The Balkans have been cowed
into obedience. Greece is still standing
and will probably continue to do so as
long as Britain continues to fight. The
Germans have not had the opportunity
to settle that minor incident" as the
Italo-Greek war is labeled in Berlin. But
the U. S. S. R. might turn against it's
present friend if something should hap
pen to the Reich For instance, if Ger
man invasion of England were complete
failure, there is no saying what the
repercussions in the Soviet Union
might be.
The Germans do not trust the Rus
slams any more than the Russians trust
the Germans. 1t is considered possible
that in the event of real setback the
Russian armies would turn against the
Germans IN the same manner tnat the
Cars armies turned against Napoleon.
And Hitler, who has studied intensively
the history of Napoleon's successes and
mistakes, does not intend to leave his
flanks open to possibly shifting ally.
This is the explanation of the recent
German concentrations in the Balkans
and of the German infltration in Ru-
mania and Bulgaria. So the German
general staff is organizing its defenses
against a possible attack from Russia in
the event the invasion of Great Britain
should prove a failure.
The lines which the Germans are for
tifying. now in Rumania extend from
south of the province of Moldavia to the
Danube. In Bulgaria they intend to
strengthen the lines along the Black
Sea and make the harbors of Burgas
Evening star., 1941-01-12
STRONGER BRITISH FAR EAST FLEET FORECAS'
re-BeIsho Says Victory Means More Reopenine

LONDON.-The manner in which the
British Army has assimilated and i'm
proved upon the tactics used with such
devastating effect by the ReichsWehr
against Poland, the Low Countries and
France must have caused a sense of
uneasiness in Germany.
The plan of campaign in Northern
Africa follows the now familiar pat
tern of striking in from the flank. cutting
off the enemys positions, and while dis
posing of them with tanks and infantry,
stretching onward with mechanized
antennae for the next resisting point.
So it was at Sidi Barrani. so it was at
Bardia, so it will be at Tobruk. Gen.
Wavell does not give the Italians sufh-
cient pause to recover
The perfection of his operations, how
ever does not consist alone in speed and
the efficient use of mobile forces. Recon-
naisSance of meticulouS accuracy is
needed. The patrols who at Bardia pen
etrated the outer defenSeS night after
night, mapping out the terrain, learning
the dispositions of the enemy situation,
his gun-sites, tank traps and other OBJ
stacles, were Australians. 1t was largely
due to their skill and stealth that chan
nels of inflltration were bored out. They
also played their part in the final as
sault, in which the army. feinting IN
one direction and attacking from an
other took the enemy completely by
surprise.
Thus was reduced IN four days a
stronghold which it had taken four years
to prepare, and the feat assumes greater
magnitude when it is realized that the
main base of support for this operation
was Alexandria, $50 miles in the rear.
With Wavell's advanced troops now
heading toward Derna and Benghazi,
and with the garrison at Giarabub, about
$50 miles south of Bardia, already cut
off the stage is we'll set for the complete
capture of Cyrenaica.
Egypt Now Is Safe.
Between Derna and Benghazi lies
concentrated area of italian peasant
colonization. Mass contingents of i'm
migrants have for several years past
been dispatched with great ceremony
from the motherland to bear the burdens
and enjoy the advantages of empire.
New villages have been built. Each one
has been made community center with
Fascist headquarters, school, post office,
shops. Wheat, vegetables and vines have
been cultivated. All this settlement will
presently become the scene of fighting,
perhaps devastation.
1t may now be said that with the
capture of one-third of Graziani's army,
the first of the British objects has been
achieved. Egypt is free from the menace
of invasion.
For the Italians to accumulate again
all the equipment and stores. particu-
larly the supplies of petrol, required for
such an undertaking would be a task
dif1cult enough Of fulfllment in Italy
Evening star., 1941-01-12
NAZIS PREPARE FOR INVASION OF BRITAIN
United States Observers Expect Hitler to

The crushing defeat of the Italians in
Africa, their impotence in Albania and
the movements of the German troops in
the Balkans are being followed here with
keen interest.
While the brilliant British victories are
bound to have as strong a moral effect
on the beleaguered people in England as
their effect on the Italian people is de-
pressing it is realized here that they do
not materially affect the ultimate ISSUE
which is: Can Germany crush Britain
within the next few months by a frontal
attack and an invasion of the Isles?
Although the issue may appear OBJ
scured occasionally by the diversion on
other fronts this. the attempt to invade
the British Isles. is in the opinion of the
military experts the factor of paramount
Importance in the present struggle. The
other things are side shows. Important
side shows. it is true but insignificant
compared to what Washington believes
the Germans are planning to attempt on
the western front.
At the time when this article is writ
ten. reports from Berlin indicated that
Hitler had not yet given the decisive
word.
In the German high command there
are two schools of thought. One group
of generals is of the opinion that an at
tack on England must be made at once.
They estimate the chances of success at
better than $3.50. They argue that the
systematic bombing of Britain, and espe-
cially of the industrial centers, has re-
duced the output of the British factories,
while nothing of real Importance is COM
ing from the United States. Britain
will fight valiantly and stubbornly, these
men say but in the end she can be con-
Quered
U. S. Production Big Factor.
Another group of German strategists
maintains that it will take at least an
other six months-in all probability more
before the American factories begin to
deliver airplanes, guns and other war
materials in important quantities to the
British. BY that time, these generals
argue, the war of attrition-submarin
campaign and air raids-would have
brought Britain to her knees without the
loss of 100000 German soldiers, which is
the least an invasion could cost the
Reich. it is believed.
Both camps, however, agree that
should the American production increase
more rapidly than the German intelli-
gence services anticipate, the invasion of
Britain must be attempted before trans
port ships begin to bring vast materiel to
English or other convenient ports
Hitler is reported to be listening to the
arguments of both groups, just as he did
before the high command decided on the
invasion of Norway and the blitzkrieg
against Holland, Belgium and France.
He Is weighing the arguments of the ex-
ponents of both schools of thought, but
Evening star., 1941-01-12
Mediterranean War

First in the military annals of the day
remains the adventure on the southern
shore of the Mediterranean Sea, in
Libya, where foot by foot the British
Army, composed chiefly of the tall, fear
less Anzacs. press steadily against the
Italian soldiery headed by Marshal
GRAHAM On Monday the British could
exult at the fall of Bardia, the Italian
stronghold of Libya near the border of
Egypt They took 10000 prisoners when
Bardias suicide garrison surrendered to
an assault from the land, sea and air.
Quantities of tanks. guns, equipment and
stores of all sorts were included in the
prize of Bardia. But there was no time
for eXultation. The forces under Gen.
Sir Archibald P. Wavell had further
business. Seventy miles beyond Bardia
lay Tobruk, and to win Libya, the British
must win Tobruk.
With swiftness the British acted. On
Tuesday they reached El Adem. the air
port for Tobruk, and there
Tobruk captured 40 planes which
CutOff had been damaged by pre-
vious British bombing at
tacks El Adem is Is miles south OF
Tobruk. Military circles in Cairo esti-
mated that $4,000 Italian troops were
concentrated at Tobruk, whose harbor
is one of the best on the Libyan coast.
Early the British Navy barred approach
to the harbor. BY the middle of the
week the British, even while concentrat-
ing around Tobruk, swept beyond that
fort and sent an advance force 40 miles
bevond it to Gazala, an airport, where
the attacking army seized 35 planes. The
Italian reverses shook the middle of
Africa, far away. and Ethiopians, con-
ouered five years ago by Italy, COM
menced a revolt
AT the weeks end, while Gen. Wavell
organized his men for besieging Tobruk,
the Royal Air Force raided Italian bases
in Ethiopia to encourage the incipient
native uprising. Ethiopian guerrillas
were said to be harassing Italian lines of
communication, disrupting the movement
of supplies to frontier posts. Halle
Selassie. refugee Emperor of Ethiopia,
has been in Africa since September, pre-
sumably in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan,
for the purpose of rallying his people
to revolt against the Italians. British
forces deep in Africa entered Buna,
Evening star., 1941-01-12

Kenya colony crossroads junction some
100 miles south of the Ethiopian border,
and their scouts reported that the Ital-
ianS had abandoned Ell Wax, in the
border zone between the British colony
of Kenya and Italian Somaliland Buna
is in the Moyale sector, which the Ital-
ians have held for months
On the northern shores of the Medi-
terranean the Italians suffered slower,
but just as certain mis-
kisuro fortunes The Greek
Coptured progress in Albania was
determined Church bells
pealed throughout Greece as Premier
John (Strong Nam Metaxas announced
in Athens the capture of Klisura in Gen.
tral Albania, the gateway to the Adri-
attic seaport of Valona, 80 miles north
of Klisura. How slowly the campaign
moves is shown in the fact that it was
December when the Italians began to
fall back toward Klisura, after the fall
of Premet, where the soldiers of Mussolini
made a determined stand in an attempt
to halt the Greek offensive. Greek forces
at that time said the Italians brought
up strong reinforcements to defend the
pass at Klisura, apparently attaching
great strategic importance to preventing
a break through at that point
From another part of the Balkans all
week came signs that perhaps the Ger
mans are preparing for an operation of
aid for their Italian allies. Between
the German troops in Rumania and a
potential front in Greece at the rear
OF the Greek Army'S operations stands
Bulgaria. For all Bulgars it was a week
OF concern and agitated activity whose
meaning only later days will show. In
Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia, re-
ports were heard that Bulgaria had re-
jected request for passage of German
troops to Greece and was relying on
Soviet Russia to bolster her resistance
Bulgarian Premier Bogdan Philoff went
to Vienna to talk with the Germans.
He was said to have declined to negotiate
for movement Of Nazi troops southwark
from Rumania. The Premier's stand
was linked with reports that Russia
froWns on further German military pene-
tration into the Balkans
What Bulgaria really decides and what
stand Premier Philoff actually took time
alone will show
Evening star., 1941-01-12

over the English Channel and protecting
them flew 500 eight-gun fighter planes.
1t represented one of the heaviest raids
ever carried out by the British by day.
Aviation circles in London described
the British foray as resembling the mass
German daylight raids on the British
Isles last September and october. But
the British raid, they said, was more
successful"
The British raid, however, is not the
war. If the British are to win, much
needs yet to be done. Prime Minister
Churchill pinned Britain's hope of VIC
tory on the United States, as he wished
good fortune to crown the mission of
Lord Halifax, who has been
Tosk of appointed British Ambas-
Halifax sador to the United States.
On Thursday the Prime
Minister spoke in London at luncheon
given by the Pilgrims in Lord Halifax's
honor, saying that the new Ambassadors
ldSh Ill TIE OIllLeQ oIdLeS Will De as
momentous as any that the monarchy
has entrusted to an Englishman in the
lifetime of the oldest of us here" Lord
Halifax himself showed that he was
aware of the deep significance of his
assignment in the United States, for he
said:
I'VE are encouraged by the knowledge
that the will to resist this German at
tempt to secure world domination is as
strong on the other side of the Atlantic
as it is here, and we do not doubt that
achievement OF our purpose is within
the power of the EngliSh-Speaking peo-
pies"
A luncheon of the Pilgrims was an
appropriate setting for such remarks, be-
cause the Pilgrims compose an Anglo
American organization for the promotion
of good will between the United States
and the British Empire.
The next day Harry Hopkins had a
long luncheon talk with Mr.. Churchill,
a talk which lasted an hour beyond the
Prime Minister'S usual luncheon time
What did they say? See the history
books. They discussed, reported Mr..
Hopkins, matters of mutual urgency"
Evening star., 1941-01-12
Review of Seventy-First Week of War
By Blair BoUes.

In the midst of bombing sudden
deaths hod battles assaults humanity
gained surprisingly round The Britain diverted
moment
bearing
provisions
that onsgnmen relief supplies Finland should expedited
mankind fed while mankind kieG mankind
in a democratic world
The cheered of mill
the the Nile
far in Lbya continued by the Greeks and British
Albania armies Italy which being pushed back
London that
British cheed
Roosevelt before Congress to deliver
call for all cooperation providing material help
bill to avail
harbor
Evening star., 1941-01-12

and Varna into powerful naval bases for
the use of their submarines and de-
stroyers. Along the Carpathian Noun
tains as far as the Slovak border they
are working feverishly at establishing
the same strong Notifications equipped
with guns from the former Czecho-
Slovak little Maginot line" and what
ever materiel from the Skoda works they
have found in Rumania. With the rear
thus assured, win or lose, the German
high command feels that it can take the
necessary risk of reducing Great Bri-
tain by force, even if such an operation
were to take several months. And the
consensus is that such task must be
undertaken before the United States has
had time to put its tremendous indus
trial power in effective motion and pre-
pare itself for an immediate showdown.
Evening star., 1941-01-12

was "a reflection OF world at war" Mr..
Roosevelt translated the figures into
warmer things: This means warships.
freighters, tanks, planes and guns to
protect us against aggression, and jobs,
health and security to strengthen the
bulwarks of democracy"
More news than that winged from
Washington Friday to London. Con-
gress received a bill, long expected, to
put into action the "lease-lend" pro-
gram of aid to Britain. It's purpose
is to make available to England the
war goods here she might need without
requiring her to pay nou
leose-lend for the materials. TIL.
Proorom bill would make American
ports havens for British
ships, and what will be the consequences
of such a provision the future may
forcibly disclose. The President urged
that the United States be turned into
s'an arsenal for the democracies," and
to accomplish that is the bills purpose
dNAIh dPpiONdi VI Llle Dill was lore
cast by the administrations friends at
the Capitol, but predictions were heard
OF fight by isolationist forces The bill
historic and in many ways unprecedente1
in the powers it gives the President anu
IN the interpretations it brings to inte"-
national law, will be considered first j.
the House.
This country took a military step {
its own, reorganizing the Navy into thrcc
main fleets-one for Asiatic waters, one
for the Pacific and one for the Atlantic.
President Roosevelt authorized an in
crease by $4,000 of the man power of the
Navy. to be taken from the Reserves.
who now have 10000 of their number
under the colors. The commander in
chief of all fleets is Rear Admiral Hus-
band E. Kimmel, who was Mr.. Roose-
velts aide when he was Assistant Secre-
tary of the Navy during the World War.
Across the ocean dappled with fight
ing ships soon will pass ships laden with
food. The British Ministry
Relief of Economic Warfare an
Ships nounced that in response TO
personal appeal from Pres
dent Roosevelt, clothing and food would
be permitted to pass through the block
ade to children of unoccupied France.
On Thursday it was indicated that the
northern arm of the blockade will be
relaxed even more than in the past fer
the passage OF ships bearing food TO
Finland.
The American Red Cross announccd
that it was planning to dispatch al
American ship late this month loaded
with condensed milk and other relief
supplies for unoccupied France and &
consignment of flour and milk for Spai.
which has never recovered from T.
strains OF its civil war of l936-l939.
One effect of this move will be to in
prove the feeling of the French toWa!
the United States, sending the food, an.
Great Britain. allowing the passage of
food. Another influence for the improve
ment of French feeling toward the Amer
leans and the British was seen in Tic
arrival of Admiral Leahy, new American
Ambassador. in Vichy. He presented h
credentials Wednesday to Marshal Petain.
Chief of State of France The French
repeatedly think today that the out
look is less black for England than the
thought before. This belief may ha-
a great effect on the French attitut
toward the German conquerors.