The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-05-27

Atlantic, before the Germans can
arrive on the scene.
First, of course the AXIS force!
will have to traverse France
Knocked over the nose as thu
Vichy government is. that surel,
won't be difficult. Indeed, Frencl
troops may join them in the eXpe
dition. Dakar and its surrounding
country are French property. ano
the Vichy folk aren't likely to en-
Joy having their port seized by
Americans, whether or not In CO
operation with the British. True
the Germans, once in possession
undoubtedly will try to hang onto
it forever. but the best guess is
that the Vichy gang will wishfully
think not. Anyway, Herr Hitler can
be depended on to blackjack 'em
into acquieScence.
So much for France. Presum.
ably thatll be a German cinch.
Next, as to Spain. Caudillo
Franco (caudillo's Spanish for
fuehrer or duce or commissar) is 9
dictator himself. He may have his
synlpathies with Nazis and Fas-
cists-hardly with Communists. for
the Russians helped to fight him in
the civil war he waged to demolish
the late Spanish republic Germans
helped him, though. and Italians
helped him a lot. Still, he mightn't
like being bossed by a couple OF
other dictators adolf and Benito)
and by the Vichy crowd.
Worlds Strongest
That British rock" is the
strongest fortress in, the world.
John Bulls garrison says 1t can
hold it ad inhnitum. against any
imaginable attack. Possibly 50. All
the same. it's an extremely small
rock. It's hard to believe it can't be
blasted and starved out.
If it is, the Axis tourists will be
slap on the edge of Gibraltar
strait. If it isn't, the Axis aggrega-
ton nevertheless can choose one
side or the other of the rock itself
for the jump to Africa. The British
navy can be counted on to guard
the surface water of the strait. It's
a 100 to / gamble, however, that
the Axis chaps will undertake the
hop by plane. with gliders in tow
That straits less than nine miles
wide at its narrowest. 1t can be
awaited over, and back, per plane,
with attached gliders. dozens OF
times a day. Naturally there1l be
r. A. r. opposition, but it'll be
mean invasion to stem.
In Africa, the Axis travellers will
be again, for awhile. on Spanish
colonial soil. Then they'll have a
trek on into French African terri.
tory to Dakars overland back door.
tn be a terrific hike-moun-
tains to begin with; subsequently
desert, and lots of it. 1t isn't an
impossibility, though-at least, not
theoretically.
But whatll the Axis force leave
behind it, in the Iberian peninsula?
/ know Spain pretty well, having
covered it thoroughly. as a news
paperman, during the days that led
up to King Alfonso's overthrow.
Those birds aren't ordinary revolu-
tionists; they're anarchists. I'd es-
innate that Is per cent Of 'em are
anarchistic. And a first-class anar-
chist is the limit. He assassinates
right and left. For his own life he
doesn't care a boot. And. besides
the unqualified anarchist, about
half the rest of the population
is miscellaneously revolutionary.
They haven't much organization
for formal warfare organizations
something an anarchist is congeni-
tally opposed to-. but GOSH
they're the ugliest guerilla war
riors on earth.
They proved 1t by abolishing
King Alfonso. Then they had a bad
spell under Dictator Primo de Ri
vera, but finally extinguished him
and set up their so-called republic.
1t hadn't adequate organization.
either.
Frances Opening
That gave Caudillo Franco his
opportunity to horn in. He couldn't
have succeeded, at that, If he
hadn't had lot Of help from Italy
and some from Germany. With this
support, he got away with it-for
awhile.
But If he hooks up with the Axis
and his revolution doesn't start