Evening star., 1941-03-01

them. In reality, the brilliant mo-
torized triumph in Libya has been
merely a symbol and a forewarning
Of future possibilities.
Perhaps the greatest advantage
possessed by the British today is
the ruthless fact that they are fight
ing for their lives and their exist
ence as an independent parlia-
mentary governed people. They
have had to start with only single
Observation-Disclosures and slavery
or ultimate freedom, at whatever
cost in wealth and blood. That
was the only alternative the Firms
and the Greeks had, and it was
also their deepest source Of strength.
The underdog always knows the
most that can happen to him is to
die; that death can be a liberation
and victory beside life in physical
or spiritual chains. The British
have started at the point where
death is an episode" Oddly
enough, the men at Valley Forge
started from exactly the same place.
So did the mixture of armies and
peoples who overthrew another con-
queror of all Europe who was named
Napoleon.
Britain Must Fight.
Right now the British do not
possess alternatives" They have
no alternative but to fight and fight
and fight. That is why, unless I
am much mistaken, they will have
good many alternatives tomor-
row-at the latter part of this year
and throughout next year. Let's
reserve the reasons for this state
ment for another article where they
properly belong. For the moment,
let us suppose that Hitler fails TO
invade the British Isles during the
next six months (howeVer fearfully
uncertain the battle may rage) be-
cause Britain gets all the American
arms that she needs in order to
keep on fighting. If things should
work out that way, how could the
British extend the effectiveness of
their warfare?
The Libyan and East African
campaigns have already given US
one very illuminating indication. In
Africa, British troops are fighting
while German divisions are occupy
ing" or standing guard. BY the
time they have cleaned up in Africa,
the British will not only possess a
very sizable eXpenditionary army,
they will possess an elite Of hard
ened, swift and efficient motorized
divisionS-pluS air and naval forces
practiced in complete coordination
with land forces. Northern Africa
and East Africa are invaluable
training grounds for large British
Army which. in all probability, will
some day fight on European soil
somewhere in the Balkans.
Britain's allies are not simply eX-
lied governments in London. Brit
aims most important allies are mil
lions of peoples in every Nazi-
occupied country in Europe from
Norway to Rumania and Bulgaria.
They are the forgotten ace-in-the-
sleeve of the British cause; for
gotten by the defeatists, mean.
Balkans Anti-Nazi.
After working and living for
seven months in the Balkan coun-
tries, I know from personal expert
ence that all the Balkan peoples,
Rumanians, Bulgarians, Yugoslavs
or what, are overwhelmingly anti
Nazi and correspondingly pro-
British. From the lips of many
Italian Fascists I know how deeply
they hate Nazi- Germans. Now that
German troops and airplanes have
to stay in Italy to keep Mussolini
in power, the long-term result is
ineScapable. If the war goes
through this summer the day will
soon come when the italian people
will leap at the chance to fight with
the British and against the Nazis,
for their own liberation. AS for the
Norweglans, Dutch and the Belgians
already they are only waiting for
the opportunity. A great many
Frenchmen already feel the same
and a great many more will feel
that way six months from now
These facts seem to be overlooked
completely by many Americans who
have understandable fears about our
being drawn into the war and being
asked 10 supply q second A. E. F.
overseas. The truth is that more
than half of Europe, including mil
lions of men, is already recruiting
ground for Britains allied armies
of tomorrow. The millions of men
are already there. All they will
need, once something approaching
aerial equality strikes at Germany's
civilian morale, will be machine
guns and munitions. When this mo-
ment comes, as I believe it will and
as-signiflcantly enough-the vast
majority of the Balkan peoples are
convinced it will come, then the
British will have an ever widening
choice of alternatives. These al
ternatives may be in Norway, Bel