Evening star., 1941-02-28

HITLER.
avoided that subject when autumn
came. Hitler did not invade the
British Isles 1t was his greatest |
chance. But he didn't do it because
he. couldn't pull it off. 1t seems i'm
possible to escape this conclusion.
HitIers Alternatives Today.
With these elements for back |
ground, what about Hitler's alterna-
tiveS today?
Admittedly, there remains only a
few places in Europe where Nazi
armed might can move 1t can move
in the following directions:
l. Straight ahead and all out |
against the British Isles.
2. Against Greece, Jugoslavia or
Turkey
3. Into Spain and Portugal as
preparation for an attack upon
Gibraltar.
4. Into the Ukraine "breadbasket"
and the Baku oil fields of Soviet
Russia.
Regarding the first alternative,
there can be no doubt that Nazl
Germany, having failed to invade
Britain last autumn, must make
powerful attempt to do so some time
during these next few monthS-lt
Hitler ever expects to occupy the
British Isles before they become
forbiddingly, perhaps hopelessly
strong. 1t would seem the Nazls
must strike there this spring, pref
erably before July. For Britain's
defensive and offensive powers are
increasing every week Gust as they
have weekly since September and
the flow of American war materials
will make an enormous difference
by midsummer. Hitler knows two
things very we'll: That he cannot
win or survive long war, and that
ne cannot keep scores of millions OF
Europeans in subservience on the
continent unless he knocks out
Great Britain.
But TO launch the greatest inva-
sion attempt against Britain since
the Spanish armada, Hitler will
need to use every weapon at his
command. He must have quiet be-
hing his back and an uninterrupted
flow of war materials and food sup
plies from Hungary, Rumania, Rus
sia, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. This
is why Hitler has had to move into
hn
slavs and take great risks to impose
a dictated peace upon the Greeks.
He NAV possibly succeed in all this
dts never safe to make predictions
about those granite-hearted Greeks.
Nevertheless, it's still true that Hit
ler has had his hand forced. He
never wanted to risk paralyzing
blitZkrieg move in Southeastern
Europe and he has been compelled
to move with desperate speed.
Some Possibilities.
So Hitler is trying posthaste to
close the back door to the Balkans.
without venturing upon rash fore
casts. let us consider certain pos
sibilitieS
Supposing the Greeks had to re-
sign themselves and the Nazis got
control of Salonika, with or with
out armed intervention. Anything
like that would be the worst that
/ could happen to the gallant Greeks.
In such a case Hitler would pre-
sumably have his hands free once
more to turn west against Britain.
His armies of occupation throughout
Eastern and Southeastern Europe,
however. would probably exceed g.
| 900 900 men. if they do not surpass
| that total already. The drain upon
| the spreadout NaZi war machine
| would be greater than ever, espe-
! cially since scores of divisions must
always stand ready opposite the long
| Soviet frontiers and those of Turkey.
1t would be folly for Hitler to try
| to wrest the Dardanelles from the
Turks right now. though, of course,
he intends to grab these strategic
| straits some day. It's quite possible
that he will be able to do that before
the year ends. But without naval
control of the Mediterranean. pos
session of the Dardanelles would not
appreciably advance Germany's war
potentialities. Their seizure would
also cost plenty-too much, If Hit
| Ter is going to strike in the West.
We hear much speculation about
the Nazi Army striking through
Turkey, crossing Syria, invading
Palestine and so smashing down
upon the Suez Canal by land. For
a long while to come, by land con-
stitutes about the only chance the
| Germans would have of reaching the
Suez. But several factors are over
looked in this popular speculation,
First, it seems absolutely certain that
the Turks will fight if they are at
tacked-and extremely probable that
the Soviets will encourage them to
resist, perhaps supplying them with
war materials. Second, there can
be no blitzkrieg across Turkish Asia
Minor.
Military Folly" Seen.
Some of the shrewdest military
experts in the Balkans insist that
a German attempt to drive through
Turkeys Taurus Mountains would
| Uc 1llCy POihAb OuS
that only one single-tracked rail-
road traverses this wild region. 1t
would require 35 trains to transport
one German division and its equip
ment across Turkish Asia minor-or
three days for one division of about
$4,000 men-and this, if the Turks
made no resistance whatever. Since
the Turks would surely dynamite
scores of bridges and miles of track,
it is almost inconceivable that the
Nazis could reach Syria and
Palestine through Turkey. 1t seems
quite as inconceivable that the Turks
would not fight desperately to hold
the Dardanelles, and if they failed
in that they would still be fighting
savagely for the life of their nation.
The Turks are the only Balkan
peoples who have been really tough
about expelling Nazi agents ever
since the war began Altogether, 1t
seems extremely unlikely that Hitler