Evening star., 1941-04-13

It is a sound instinct which since last
Sunday has concentrated the attention
of the American people on the Balkans
and caused them to follow with bated
breath every shred of news emanating
from the embattled area which was once
known as the cockpit of Europe"
For with the opening of the latest
blitzkrieg, year almost to the day after
the NaI invasion of Scandinavia, the
war entered a new phase and one of
the greatest moment to the United
States. If the present onslaught of Hit
ler's legionS fails in completely attain
ing its objectives, our present policy
OF unneutral -belligerency may be
continued without substantial change.
But If Germany crashes through again
it will mean an end to our present pre-
carious balance. We shall have to come
down from the tightrope, either on the
side of war or of appeasement.
The attack on Yugoslavia and Greece
represents the fourth great German Of
fenSive of this war The first, in Sep
tember, 1899, knocked out Poland in
three weeks and cemented a Russo
German cooperation which as yet shows
no real sign of deterioration. The second
offensive, in April, 1910, brought all of
Scandinavia under German control. The
third, last May and June, resulted in the
rapid conquest of the Netherlands, Bel
gium and France. The present aggres-
sion is designed to eliminate the last
remaining resistance on the continent
of Europe to Hitler's new order"
Developments Clarified.
If the British can halt this Balkan
drive, the success of the other conquests
will be jeopardized. But if it succeeds,
nothing short of a huge American ex-
peditionary force would be able to pro-
vide the man power necessary for over
throw of the Nazi continental system.
In the event of sweeping German VIC
tory in the Balkans the United States,
to put it crudely, must either put up or
shut up with regard to the alteration
of the European status which will have
been Professionally accomplished
Inc influence Ol ILLS SIIuSSIt Oll
American policy. would of itself be suf-
ficient to make the British strain every
nerve to consolidate their position in the
Greek peninsula.
AS long as this foothold is maintained,
the growing likelihood of an ultimate
German victory can be effectively denied
and steadily developing material assist
ance from this country may be safely
anticipated. But if the Balkan fighting
leads to another Dunkerque, the defeatist
sentiment which Col. Lindbergh has
come to symbolic must be expected to
strengthen in the United States. Un-
welcome as this development would be,
common sense demands that 1t be
envisaged.
The outstanding Importance of the
Balkan picture clarifies many military
developments that have heretofore
seemed obscure or unrelated. 1t ex-
plains why the British have been strain
Ing every nerve to conquer ItalyS en-
pire in East Africa: why they have re-
signed themselves to yielding so much
of the recent gains in Libya; why every
effort has been made to destroy the
Italian fleet and achieve command of
the eastern Mediterranean even at the
cost of inadequate protection for the
lifeline to Britain itself.
Egyptian Base.
To maintain the British expeditionary
force in Greece, it was essential to de-
velop Egypt as an adequate base. To
accomplish this, the threat to the rear
from Italian East Africa had to be
eliminated and communications up the
Red Sea and across the eastern Medi-
terranean made impregnable. In bal
ance, retention of the gains along the
Libyan desert coastline is relatively un-
important.
To establish the Egyptian base, it was
vital that the last Italian forces should
be swept from the Red Sea area. AS a
result, President Roosevelt has logically
declared this artery free from Neutrality
Act restrictions and open to the pas
sage of war supplies carried by ships
under the American flag.
Egypt, very deficient in its manufac-