Evening star., 1941-02-25
II. THE WAR IN AFRICA.
y TIE " "N E1'
BY LELAND STOWE.

vasion of Greece, I happened to have
a long talk, in a Balkan capital, with
a statesman of international reputa-
ton. He told me about something
that Gen. Erich Won Ludendorff,
probably the most brilliant military
mind that the Kaiser and his i'm
perial army ever had, had told him
way back in 1924. Gudendorff was
quartermaster general of the Ger
man Army in World War l. He
died December 20. 1879
"Ludendorff was talking about the
next war" the Balkan statesman
said. He declared it would be a
war of slashing movement and
speed; war of airplanes, tanks and
light artillery. In fact, he gave a
detailed and absolutely accurate de-
scription of Hitlers blitzkrieg. He
said Germany would conquer the
entire continent of Europe. Then he
added a but But the decisive
battles of the next war will be
fought in Africa, and the outcome
will be most dubious for the Ger
mans
Of course, was intrigued by
Ludendorff's prophecy. And just as
interested in my informantS opinion
(this was in October) that ne
thought the British would probably
lose Egypt, and maybe Gibraltar, but
would still win war which was
bound to be long. AS matter of
fact, he was conforming to popular
Balkan convictions, both in regard
to optimism over Britain's long-term
chances and in regard to varying
degrees of peSSimlSm about the
British being able to hold Egypt
throughout this winter.
Within six weeks the Greeks had
stopped the Italians and given the
British foothold in Europe. With
in two months of this conversation
Britain's Middle East army had
taken the offensive against Libya.
The defeatism and fears which so
many intelligent persons. experts
and politicians, had entertained
about Britains position in Egypt
were buried under series of aston
ishing blitzkrieg thrusts which have
now carried the British across hun
dreds of miles of naked desert and
far beyond Bengasi. The war in
Africa has suddenly become almost
as startling and incredible as the
Nazis' victory in Norway.
Sweeping Reversal.
Today, the remainder of Italian
held Libya, with its enormously i'm
portant seaport of Tripoli, seems
condemned to British conquest and
nothing short of military miracle
can save it from that fate Today
British, Indian and Dominion troops
together with Free French" de-
tachments are driving relentlessly
forward into Eritrea, Ethiopia and
italian Somaliland. MuSSolini's East
African empire also appears to be
doomed. These who took by the
sword south of the Red Sea are now
perishing by the sword and they
possess no avenue of escape. You
wonder what foreboding Ludendorff
would have, were he alive today.
All this is a sweeping reversal of
anything there seemed logical rea-
son to expect only few months
ago. 1t marks a breath-taking
change in British power, British
tactics and British spirit. 1t con-
stitutes a stupendous reversal be-
cause it is perfectly true that Egypt
lay wide open for an Italian con-
quest last July. At that time, due
to their unwise reliance on large
French forces in Syria and Tunisia,
the British had less than four
divisions in Egypt. Hitler, so cer-
tain well-informed persons from
Berlin have assured me, wanted
MuSSolini to unleash great often
sive on Alexandria.
It is stated that Hitler urged Mus
solini to send his feet to Alexandria
and offered more than 1000 Nazi
dive -bombers as his contribution.
II Duce was afraid to risk his capi-
tai ships. I am told that he refused
Hitler's offer and advice.
Thus the axis powers lost their
golden opportunity to seize North
Africa while Britain was still stag
gered by Dunkerque and the capitu
lation of French government,
which had sworn it would never
make a separate peace.
Whether Hitler offered impressive
aerial aid or not, the fact remains
that the Fascists should have at
tackled Egypt early in July and al
most certainly could have broken
through to Alexandria. But when
the British had to fight alone they
really began to fight. Immediately
they rushed reinforcements to Egypt
and the Sudan from all parts of
their empire. Between July and
November they poured tens of thou
sands of Australians, New Zealand
ers and Indian troops into Gen. Sir
Archibald Wavell's Middle Eastern
zone. They pushed many thousands
of veteran British troops right
through MusSolini's mare nostrum. -
They sent huge shiploads of air.
planes, tanks, lorries and munitions
with them. This tide of mounting
military strength has never ceased
to flow into Africa and it Is more
powerful than ever today.
Testimony Unanimous.
I know that this is true because I
have just come home by way of
Epypt the Relpian and French Con-