Evening star., 1941-03-20
Nazi lnfi|tration
Hints Early Move
In North Africa
Steady Flow Of Germon
Officers to French
Morocco Continues
By HELEN KIRKPATRICK,

By HELEN KIRKPATRICK,
Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent
LONDON, March 20.-German in
filtration into French and Spanish
North Africa has now reached such
proportions that an early Nazi thrust
in that area seems possible.
Such a military move would be
directed at gaining control of North
Africa and important West African
ports and striking blow at the
British in Libya.
The steady flow of German officers
to French Morocco, as first reported
March S. is continuing on a scale
to indicate that the Germans will
seize the earliest opportunity to take
over that country There is now
one German armored division in
Tripoli and two more in Sicily which
are expected to go to Tripoli shortly
On the other frontier of French
Morocco. the Spanish have lined up
five divisions. freely stated with
German officers.
Spain Seized Tangier.
With the collapse of France, last
June, the Spanish seized power in
Tangier, kicking out the interna-
tional administration five months
later. Three days ago the Sultan OF
Morocco, who retained his SOW
ereignty over Tangier, announced that
he was withdrawing his representa-
tive from Tangier-the Mendoub.
The Mendoubian palace has now
been handed over to the Germans
for consulate. Two hundred Ger
mans have now occupied it. Their
swaStika flags are clearly visible to
all shipping passing through the
Straits of Gibraltar.
There is no doubt in London that
the Sultan was forced, through
Spanish pressure, to withdraw the
Mendoub. as there have been con-
crete evidences of the Sultan's anti
axis feelings.
The manner in which the Ger
mans have been able to grasp the
most powerful position in Tangier
shows their appreciation for need to
make the most thorough undercover
preparations before a major coup
d'etat in Africa. Having established
that they would be able to bully
Vichy into open military collabora-
ton, they have now taken every pre-
caution against the French setting
up an independent government in
North Africa.
Whenever German pressure on
Vichy has assumed too great proper
tions, Chief of State Marshal Henri
Philippe Petain is believed to have
threatened to 60 to North Africa and
continue the war BY skillful pene-
tration there the Germans are in
suring that this cannot happen.
When the Nazis' infiltration has
reached a satisfactory point it is
believed they will then force Vichy
into accepting any terms put for
ward, but more probably they will
simply occupy the unoccupied areas
of France.
Count on Abrial's Aid.
In Morocco the Germans have
been able to count upon the active
collaboration of Admiral Jean Marie
Abrial, the governor general, who
vehemently maintains that Great
Britain has always been and still
is Frances real enemy. Although
few of his senior officers share his
view, his attitude has apparently
made a deep impression on the
younger ones
While the British are successfully
cleaning the Italians out of East
Africa, the Germans are working
steadily to gain control of the en-
tire West African coast, with its
command of the South Atlantic
trade routes. Thus the task con-
fronting the army of the British
Near Eastern commander in chief
Gen. Sir Archibald Wavell, in
Africa-viewed in this lights in
deed stupendous.
In East Africa, French Somaliland
is expected to be the newest ad-
herent to Gen. Charles de Gaulle's
free French movement as the Brit
ish forces close in around the iso-
lated colony. 1t is not likely that
the French administration there
will throw in its lot with Gen. de
Gaulle willingly but, as Somaliland
is dependent on surrounding Italian
colonies for food, it will probably
be given no choice.
(CopyriEht. 1941, Chicago Daily News Inc }