Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-19
French Hold
Key TO Crisis
In Near East
{ Syrian Troops Back
Nazis. Suez Is Doomed
By PAUL MAI.LON

WASHINGTON. May 10. -
W Whether the British are
now to be driven out of the
Near East and North Africa de-
ponds on how far the French
viii 60 in their promised coll
l4h-Fa ion with the NaZfS2
The French have 10000 troops
in Syria under arms. That they
VIII act under orders from
Nichy IS 10 be expected. Their
good material is left over from
the equipment furnished the
original WeNgand force of l2O,-
600 thalf OF which has been de-
mobllilcdl but the Germans can
MAXI il even better
II these French fight with the
Germans the British cannot
hope 10 defend the Suez, and
what is even more important
than McSopotamian oil to them,
the Alexandra naval base.
The logical plan for Nazi at
tack talready limited in dis
patcheS) is 10 cut through Syria,
not directly toward the Sucz,
hut SouthcaStward for the only
Nesopotamian port. Basra, near
the head OF the Persian gulf,
Driving down the Euphrates
River valley 10 BaSra. the Ger
mans could clear Mesopotannia
of the British and deprive them
of their only origin of supplies
there.
HI r1rr1p1rtrrr wotffri -if,t'-eft fffft--
Il cult for the Germans Ac-
CcSs through Turkey Mlll-do
them little good There are no
roads across Turkey. Their
Syrian move must be launched
from bases established by sea
or air from Greece. right un-
der the nose Of the British in
Cyprus They, therefore, vitality
need the fighting assistance of
the French.
But the problem is even
tougher for the British If they
invade Syria. the French will
surely fight, If they wait Until
the Nazis reach the Persian
Gulf. they Will have TO defend
Sucz, from two sides. Their
McSopotamian resistance must
rely on doubtful Indian native
troops,
The fate of Nazi opposition
in this cradle of the world thus
is being weighed upon invisible
scales in Vichy.
TIIE notion that. Mr., Roosevelt
l. might try to take Dakar is
being diSpelled His diplomats
have yearned for such action,
but military men have decided
it is impossible. We can seze
Martinique and French Guiana
in our sphere without much
trouble; but the occupation of
Dakar would require months of
preparation for large eXpedl-
tlonary force.
If France collaborateS with
the Nazfs and allows Hitler 10
establish a submarine and ma
rine air bombing base there, the
direct line of British supplies
from South America and India
viii he brought under attack.
This is the only immcdiate
significance Of Dakar. kpbm a
military standpoint il would not
be feasible for Hitler 10 launch
any attack from there upon
South America for long time.
The effeetef AazHeeeHpation
would, therefore. be 10 us
largely diplomatic blow at our
prestige in Latin-America.
V'IE British must take 1.-the
Il blame if this strategic point
falls to Hitler. The defenses
there rely on the French crlis-
ers which the British let escape
through Gibraltar in full sight.
9, tsAss' 'i4iseeesg = cs6sf aiSsqSvsa = 'a''''
The weather will work against
any decisive action on the other
Suez front in North Africa UNI
I'll Fall 1t Will soon be too hot
10 fight on the Egypt -Cyrcnaica
front The existing stalemate
IS likely 10 continue.
Mr. ROOSEVELT did not is
vi sue his challenge 10 Petain
impulSively as il may haze ap-
peared, a tip from Nichy as TO
the way the wind was about TO
blow was available here several
days before.
While the news was a terrific
blow, officialdom is comforting
itself with the hope IT will not
work out in practice rs decisive
rs il could prove 10 be TO the
British
With a million and A half
French prisoners still in Ger
man hands, however. these
hopes must be lightly held.
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