The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-22

european countries yeSCer'
 For Instance: Five years ago this column gave the inside story of the French dilemma on March ', l036-the date Hitler sent his troops into the demiiltarized Rhineland. All that fateful day, the French Cabinet deliberatod. Whether to send the French army Into the Rhlneland to stop Hit- ler'S very small, very inexperi- enced, young army was the ques- ton.
 Chief of Staff damelln notified the Cabinet that to oppose Hit- Ter might not actually mean war, but 1t meant the risk of war. Hit- ler's new young army might fold up and retreat. But if 1t took c stand, 1t meant war.
 The Cabinet debated thls all day long. Finally 1t decided that the country could not risk war. The political reaction would he bad. Also the defense program was not complete.
 Later 1t was disclosed that Hit- Ter had given his troop commail- derS double marching orders. ono order was to advance. The other order was to retreat in case of French resistance.
 NOTE - One year later, when Hitler took Austria, France was better prepared. But Germany was even more so. And far more ini- portant, Germany now had pros tected her great industrial area of the Ruhr and moved into the strategic Rhinc valley, for which an attack on either France or Germany was absolutely essential. UsA AND WEST AFRICA
 On Thursday, May 1B, 104l, 1t became known that France had signed c deal whereby her colonies in West Africa (and elSewhere) were turned over 10 Hitler's uses.
 On Friday, May 10, 1o4i, the White House and the State De- pertinent debated all day whether President Roosevelt should send 0 inessage to Congress warning the nation what German troops and bombing planes ct Dakar, on tho western bulge of Africa, meant to the Monroe Doctrine.
 The day passed and nothing happened. This delay iS now being rectlfied. But previously
 many other precious days had passed.
 Last autumn, after the cap!tula- ton of France, General Weygand had an army of 3o0,00 men in North Africa. At that time Ad- miral Leahy, new ambassador to France, suggested Q joint Pan- American naval expedition to Da- kar, jumping-off place to South America, to prevent such Q jump off.
 At that time General Wey- gands army, cooperating with the British in Egypt, could have ape piled the pincers on the Italians, squeezed them out of Libya in no time.
 But Admiral Leahy's sugges-
 ton was not seriously consid-
 cred. Political sentiment in
 the United States, he was told
 never would stand for t, and
 besides the United States was
 not prepared.
 TO-DAY, the German-Italian armistice commission has dis- mantled all of General Weygand's airplanes, blown up his forts, dis armed his men, taken away his artillery. And what Is left of the France army in North Africa. tired of waiting for the United States and Britain, has thrown in its lot with Hitler.
 HITLER'S ENCIRCLING
 EMBRACE
 The way Hitler has conquered most of Europe has been through encirclement. In that strategy there is an important lesson for the United states. The United States has little need to worry about attack from across the At lantic and Pacific, but 1t does need to worry about being encirclet via South America.
 For instance; fiitler's first move in Europe after the Rhlnelanc was to take Austria. Czechoslo- YalElA didn't like it. but her peact