The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-08-28
BY PAUL K. LEE

OWhen General Sir Archibald
p. Wavell was transferred sud-
denly on July 2 from Britain's
Middle East command to India,
there, was widespread talk that
this most successful British Gen.
eral had been kicked upstairs.
Now. eight weeks later, the
transfer has fallen snugly into
place like a curiously-shaped
piece In a great jigsaw puzzle.
filling out an important segment
in the panorama Of the war and
of British grand strategy.
With Wavell in command of
the British forces, the British
Russian thrust against Iran ap-
pears on the verge of success in
the fourth day of a smoothly
operating invasion like that with
which Wavell dumbfounded the
Italians In Libya.
FIND SECURE ROUTE
1t seems virtually certain that
a secure route for British and
American material aid for Rus
STA in her war with Germany,
and possibly for British troops
as we'll, is to be opened up across
Iran to Russia's Caspian Sea and
Caucasus areas.
At the time Of his transfer,
Wavell was the subject Of con-
siderable gossip to the effect that
he was in semi-disgrace because,
his sweep into Libya was follow.
ed by reverses from German
reinforced Axis troops and Aus
tralian criticism Of the Greek
and Crete campaigns.
BY declining to give the House
Of Commons an explanation,
British Prime Minister Churchill
let Wavell take it," 30 to speak,
and the General himself kept
silent.
Today, the fact that his Indian
command is handling the Iranian
situation appears to be both m
explanation of the past and .
tip-off of the future.
A WORTHY PRIZE
The oil of Iran makes that an
cient kingdom q worthy prize In
itself, but Iran alone could have
been taken care Of by the Mid
die East command.
The implication Is that much
of the material aid for Russia,
and possible military aid ~ well.
will come from India.
The British press admits that
the custer of Germans from Iran
Is . secondary objective. sven
though Il was the stated reason
for Sundays invasion.
The main reasons admittedly
are to establish . supply route 70
Russia and to safeguard India
from the Nazi threat Of which
Churchill has warned.
CHOSEN IN ADVANCE
Wavell, who spent five years
in India as young officer Of the
Black Watch, obviously was
chosen for the Job well In i'd
vance, being assigned 70 Il N
soon a. the German invasion Of
Russia made Churchill's' predic-
tons appear even more ominouS.
Wavell served afyo In the eau.
casus with q military mission In
the World War.
Whether the United States had
any foreknowledge Of British In
tentions with regard 70 Iran II
a matter of pure speculation; but
she apparently was alive 10 the
possibilities Of the situation. On
July 26 Il was announced that
Lieut.. Col. w. p. Draper and
Lieut.. ". H. Sutro had arrived in
India rs u. S. military observers.
ACTIVE ALREADY
As an arsenal and troop req
ervoir for Britain, India has been
active already. Details are close
ly guarded secrets, but British
sources say midas war effort Is
increasing every day.
The trend seems TO confirm
what Adolf Hitler wrote II years
ago In "Mein Kampf-that In
dia Is the keystone Of the British
Empire and that Britain could
not and would not let 60 there
without 'risking her last drop
of blood"
CHURCHILL RIGHT
Churchill has said that q Max