Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-18

HA q
w The exultant German press
is asking:
us Hitler invincible ."
The answer Phee-asi -
Hitler'S army has been irwin
chile On, the continent of Europe
mot elsewhere) because he has
a superiority of equipment. For
years he has been accommodating
tanks and planes in quantities
his adversarleS are unable 10
match in a short time. His in
vincibility is as limited - and
perhaps as temporary-as that
single fact.
There was nothing invlnclble
about his tanks in Greece. The
answer TO a tank is a three-inch
anti-tank gun which shoots a
piercing projectile that eXplodes
inside the tank. The British and
Greeks simply had insufficient
anti-tank guns 10 defend the
numerous mountain passes, any
one Of which ne might have
struck.
Shifting of material behind
the Allied defense lines was I'M
possible because mountains ~
tervened What guns they had
they placed in passes where
they expected the attack, ard
Hitler. with his always SLpeIlnr
spy system. slipped down
through Yugoslavia were they
thought they were protected by
the Serb army
4 SECOND answer 10 tanks
~ is demolition OF approaches.
tank traps, and distractions
The British could not adequately
prepare their lines in Greece be
cause the Greek army was IN
front of them, and the Crock
way of retreat through British
lines had TO be left open.
Against such Instructions.
rffitler'S mechanical army has a
superiority. It * true With each
tank army IS a corps Of engl-
neeES called The Pioneers y
who are undoubtedly the best
military engineers IN the world
in. view of their long training
for tins war. They carry steel
Orders. wooden beams siruc-
r1rat 1drFrIaiiz- II ffIEUUvCT Turks
are destroyed and dozens were.
damned up in some passes by
the British in Greece they come
up and clear seemingly ImpaS-
sable roads in a few hours
Furthermore IN q Germans
were not only superior in Greek
air. but dominant The Allies
did not have enough planes on
the spot TO challenge their
enemy.
Their makeShift resistance
was more political than military
General WaVell Is known 10
have opposed a stand in the
Balkans. He knew he was bound
10 be inferior IN equipment No
military man here was fooled hy
what happened 10 one Of com
petence had given the YugOsiaVS
more than a few weeks ard
most expected another Dun
kerque in Greece.
WHEREVER Hitler conquers
w on Lhe continent. ne runs up
against an ocean. and his in
vincibillfy stops There the situ-
alton is reversed The British
!. have been preparing for genera
tionS for that kind Of warfare.
lie has not. They, therefore.
have superiority of marine
equipment which he cannot
match for a good many more
years than it viii take Britain
and the United States 10 build
anti-tank gunS-dnd planes.
Hitler is not invincible in
Africa or the British Isles In
Africa the British have the IN
terror lines of supply Hitler
must take his tanks across the
Mediterranean thus reversing
the British predicament IN
Greece At home he has not
dared challenge them.
Even if Hitler captures Alex
andria and uses its air facilities
10 bomb and close the SueZ. he
cannot hope TO accomplish much
& more than change of ministry
in London If Alexandra falls
Churchill viii probably 90. but
he viii be Supplanted by Bcvin
who Is Just as anti-NaZi.
Hitler has used the area OF his
proven invincibility almost 10 is
limits In doing so he has
thinned his lines draStically as
he heightened them. But the
British lost much Of their
mechanical stuff at Dunkerque
are losing more in Greece, and
have not the whercWithal 10
puneture this line at any point.
They cannot accumulate what
they need for al least year,
probably two or three or more.
Meanwhile. they may console
themselves with the knowledge
that the conquerors of all his