The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-04-05

gists concur. can't but be difficult
for him to attend to.
That, however, is what he's
threatened with, due to Benito.
Diplomatic gOssips TO the effect
that Berlin all along opposed the
Fascists' campaign against Greece,
as hazardous. Rome, though. was
anxious to score a grab of its own,
probably fearing that the Germans
wouldn't be very generous toward
the Italians, if the former won
over John Bull and the Italians
hadn't registered their hoped-for
conquests in the meantime. So
Benito went ahead with his at
tempted program regardless of his
senior partners wishes.
II he'd made short work OF the
Greeks, maybe it wouldn't have
mattered much to the Fuehrer.
But he fzzled so hopelessly that
Adolf could hardly avoid helping
him. The presumption is that he
wouldn't have cared boot on the
Italians lone account. The trouble
was that having the Fascists licked
amounted to reflection on the
whole Axis; question Of prestige
was involved-German as we'll as
Italian prestige, since the two are
linked together, at least nominally.
Well, the only way the Nazis can
get into Greece is via those east
ern and southeastern European
countries.
Others Scared, but
They have Austria, Hungary.
Bulgaria, Rumania and their i'm
mediately adjoining territories buff
faioed by the mere process of scar
ing EN- half to death and Italy al
ready has Albania dominated. Yet
their populations are not a bit de-
pendably Nazi-istically loyal. Con-
siderable proportions OF EN- would
be likely to revolt If they thought
they stood a chance Of getting
away with il.
And now Yugoslavia threatens
TO set EN- going.
To be sure, Yugoslavia isn't solid.
The Serbs are anti-German, but
the Croats are said to be pro-Nazi.
Adolf may succeed in instigating
Yugoslavian civil war. 1t would
be a mean job for Herr Hitler to
eight his way through 1t TO Greece,
the Dardanelles and thereabouts.
1t isn't a good region for a mech
anized blitzkrieg, either. It's geo.
graphically rougher than a tin
lantern-ideal for guerilla activity,
and those Balkanites are vicious
guerillas.
The Greek record speaks for It.
self. Turkeys enthusiastically mo-
bilized. And Russis's steadily turn
ing more and more anti-German,
despite it's loose compact with Ber-
lin. It isn't regarded as overly ef-
fcacious militarily, but it's numer-
Gus and resourceful.
Meanwhile. by starting trouble
with Britain in North Africa, Be-
nito's managed to concentrate a
big British force in the neighbor-
hood. 1t already has whaled the
tar out Of the African Fascists and
Is ready 10 come 10 the aid of the
anti-Nazi Balkan element; in fact,
it's arriving, in advance, In the
southern BALKANS. Furthermore,
all assistance in the form Of anti
Nazi war supplies, is available
from Uncle Samuel.
It's an ugly outlook from Herr
HItlers standpoint. And Signor
Mussoiiui, by his Greek and Afri-
can muddling. provided the back
ground for IL. That's why it's
reckoned that the democracles
ought 70 grant a medal to him.
no particular gratitude is due to
japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke
Matsuoka for having arrived in
Berlin just as Herr Hitler suffered
his Yugoslayian setback. His pres
ence there az that especial juno
ture was only a coincidence.
Nice Coincidence
The experimentation Of events.
couldn't have been improved on If
II had been arranged deliberately.
Minister Matsuoka landed at Nazi
headquarters on the very evening
Of the day on which Herr Hitler
had bulldozed Prince Pauls Yugo-
siav government into signing its
/ friendly pact with him.