Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-02
Maxi Attack
On Fire
May Be Next
German Planes Cruising
Over Emerald Isle
BY PAUL MALLON

against the possibility of Amer
lean ships going to Ireland-a
possibility that has not been
mentioned anywhere else.
The best of State Department
sources here say they never
heard such an idea seriously or
unseriously advanced. So also,
says Mr.. Roosevelt, who hears
pretty well.
Against this tinny Berlin din.
the German airplanes have been
taking off regularly the last
few days to cruise over Ireland.
No bombs were dropped. APP
parently they were just looking
over the ground.
As these tive are lust such
signs as appeared before the
Germans stole into Norway
during the night, some officials
here have been running out to
pick up their morning papers
before breakfast each day.
CEIZURE of Irish coastal
~ bases by Hitler would afford
him a tremendous advantage in
his encircling blockade of Eng
land. 1t would require a des-
perately intricate movement,
but no more so than Norway.
His soldiers, in prepared small
boats, could rush the Irish
beaches any dark night and
establish a footing in that
wholly undefended territory.
They would have to be-sup--
piled by air and reinforced by
parachute troops because the
British navy would cut the sea-
lines behind them. But the eff
cheney of the German methods
of air reinforcement and sup
plies has been conclusively
proven.
The British would give them
far more annoyance with AIR
bombing than they encountered
in Norway. A large British mill
tary force is being maintained
secretly in North Ireland 10
rush southwark to oppose such
an invasion at moments
notice.
Yet planned with diabolical
German thoroughness, success is
possible.
The opportunity would be en-
HANGED if der crafty Fuehrer
staged it as sideshow to a
simultaneous invasion of Eng
land. Then the success of the
effort would almost be guaran-
teed by the distraction of the
British with matters at home
and the sideshow might enable
Hitler to complete the encircle-
ment of England even if his in
VaSlon attempt failed.
Once in. as in Norway, he
would be hard to get out.
.INHE indispensable sign of the
l. immlnence of an invasion OF
Britain, however, has not yet
appeared, The attempt there cam
not be made until the British
Air Force is "neutraliZed."
Latest German strategy has
concentrated on terrorizing the
population of London rather
than upon destruction of the
British airfields.
These army observers return
ing from eyewitness experience
in Britain tell a far different
tale to their colleagues here
than the ones recently circulated
about desperation of the British
position.
You hear nothing from them
like collapse may come within
90 to 80 days" They say in
unison that the British are we'll
defended to meet any prospect.
They all expect a long war.
doubt that invasion would be
successful.
This optimism is not, how
ever, shared by most military
authorities who are Judging
from this distance Eyewitnesses
can see only so far. they say.
They suspect that while all the
pictures show churches, schools
and hospitals destroyed, as the
only successes of German bomb
ing, the Germans must have hit
many military detectives also,
If only through bad aiming.
Morale is the important thing
and it is volatile.
TECHNIQUE employed by the
Il Germans in their desperate
effort to fire London within
few hours apparently could not
be fully told through the CEN
sors.
The ferries dropped greater
quantities of incendiaries than
ever before, but instead of wait
ing with their big bombers until
the fires could light the way to
military detectives, they swept
their bombers i'm Immediately
after the incendiaries, and I'M
loaded heller SHELTER.
1t was obviously an effort
solely to bomb the firefighters.
and hinder their work so as TO
effect the destruction of the