Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-21
Balkans Bow
To Nazis Held
Serious Blow
British Unlikely TO Tackle
Foes invading Greece
BY PAUL MALLON

NV no. - w Wv tDs
w Crumbling of the Balkans at
the first NaZi diplomatic push
was serious disappointment to
authorities here and in London.
Nothing is TO be gained by de-
nying that.
Leaders of the democracies
had been confident that Turkey
would fight The truth. as
pleced together from fragment
tary information. is that Tur-
key withdrew from the path of
the NaZis upon the urgent in
sistence of Russia. Good infor-
nation has seeped out of Mos
COW that Stain believes the
Germans will win the war. He
has acted like a man with a
secret fear of Hitler from the
start.
With Stain quavering in the
face of Nazi push the Turks
found the better part of valor
lay in acceptance of dubious
NaZi guarantee of their terri
torial integrity.
THE British will have to get
l. out of Greece if the Nazis
consummate h cir diplomatic
conquest
No one here knows for sure
how many air squadrons or
troops the British had behind
the Greek lines. Nothing has
been said about them in dis
patches. But the force was
enough to make the Greek Of
fensive successful against the
Italians.
With long lines of sea COM
munications behind them. 1t is
doubtful that they would choose
TO stand up against the more
formidable German foe.
Then also with Bulgaria Offer
ing to become a doorman for
the Nazis. and the Turks prom
Using to stand by. no one here
can see a chance that the
Greeks would be able to offer
successful resistance to the
NaZiS.
The cave-in seems truly to
portend what the Nazi press has
been suggesting-an ultimate
clean sweep down to the
Aegean.
THE British may not choose
L to tackle foolishly the
changed insurmountable odds
against them in Greece, but they
certainly will put up scrap for
their air base in Crete. There
the odds will be nearer even.
This German movement APP
parently is headed toward Sa-
lonika which will provide excel
lent bases for small submarines.
These could be shipped in and
assembled for operations against
British conveys and supplies in
the Mediterranean.
If the Nazis are wholly sue
ceSsful in fulfilling their plans,
they also will obtain air bases
on the shores of the Aegean
from which to reach out through
the skies for control of the east
ern half of Mare Nostrum.
But Suez apparently is rela-
lively safe for the immediate
future. Long range German
bombing attacks can be organ
lied against it from the new
bases, but the distance is too
great for a concerted damaging
effort.
british have been secretly
- slipping Australian troops
into Singapore for six months,
but when another detachment
arrived this week they heralded
the news around the world with
official bulletins. This strange
disclosure of what hitherto has
been military secret. was de-
signed to let the Japanese people
know what their Toxic govern
ment knew but has failed to tell
them.
This and other Anglp-Amer-
lean strategy in the Far East
seems TO be bringing results.
Singapore. already impregna-
bic from the sea, has now been
made equally formidable on land.
If the Japs choose to move
down the Malay Peninsula. they
will be met by the Australians
more than half way. Never in
history has Japan fought a foe
as tough and well-equipped as
these Australians.
You already can see signs that
an appreciation of danger in
further aggression has dawned
not only upon the statesmen but
upon the people of Japan. Con-
fusion as TO what the next move
will be Is evident among them.
1t may be against the Dutch
or against the Burma road "a
move which also would violate
British territory. but you may
rest reasonably assured it will
be in some other direction than
the Australians.
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