Evening star., 1942-12-24
Considers Danube
Approach to Germany
Military Writer Discusses
Historic Southeast Cote
To Central Europe
By Maj. Gen. John N. Greelu, U. S. A

By Maj Gen. John N. Greely, U. S. A.
The road to Germany from the south
| east leads up the valley of the Danube.
! The Romans found it thousands of years
| ago, when the limit of their empire in
/ the north ran from the Danube to the
| Rhine. The Turks used it in turn when
the Ottoman Empire was great. Sulei-
man the Magnificent pushed up it to the
| gates of Vienna shortly after Columbus
| discovered America, and the Turkish
! influence persisted in the Balkans up to
the end of the first World War.
A glance at the map shows that there
! are many approaches to the Danube
route, but today none Of them are easy.
| The shortest for us by sea and land Is
from the head of the Adriatic. This
actually would mean an attack through
Italy, previously discussed. Landings,
of course, are possible on the noun
| famous eastern shore of the Adriatic;
| but here the country is more suitable to
| guerrilla warfare by Serbian patriots
| than to the advance of an army for the
| invasion Of Germany.
| The next approach is through Greece
| Salonika has been an Allied base in both
! World Wars. It's Importance is shown in
| the fact that Germany made a major
| effort here to clear the British from the
| Balkan peninSular and protect its south
ern flank. For the time being, at least,
this flank is well protected. German oc-
cupation of Crete bars the way to the
Aegean Sea. Greece itself is ruined and
| starving, and the communications to and
through it insufficient for major at
tack from this base alone. The road up
the Struma Valley toward the Danube
is difficult one.
The third approach to the Danube
lies through the Dardanelles and the
Black Sea, which means through Turkish
territory. Turkey is neutral and can be
expected to remain neutral as long as 1t
best can protect its national existence in
this way. 1t is the proudest and the
strongest of all the nations Of the Mid
die East. That great soldier and patriot
Kemal Ataturk left it this legacy It's
national pride, its readiness to fight in
its own defense. and the quality of it's
soldiery would make any army reluctant
to invade it. Lying between the Black Sea,
the Aegean and the Mediterranean, it
would be an ideal geographical base from
which to strike across the Dardanelles
and up the Danube. Great invading
armies have used it as a bridge to distant
| conquest ever since the days of XerXes,
the Persian king of kings, and Alexan-
der the Great. But modern Turkey has
shown no willingness to lend itself as a
causeway to foreign tanks and trucks
If she enters the war Of her own will
it will be as an ally and to further her
own interests. Her position Is much like
that of Switzerland in this respect.
So long as the Axis could hold the
initiative, the neutrality of Turkey was
of the greatest value to the Allied cause.
1t covered the approaches from Europe
to Syria, Iraq and Iran. These countries
were rich in the oil resources on which
the modern war machine depends, per-
haps equally important in the main
tenance Of communication and supply.
Through the half desert, half mountain
Gus lands south and east OF Turkey traf-
f1c has passed between east and west
since the dawn Of history, and possession
Of them tied the British in Egypt to
their Indian Empire. This area became
even more important when Russia passed
to the side Of the Allies. 1t has been the
one place where British and Russian
armies actually could join hands and
has grown to be important in Russian
supply from our distant resources.
AS we become stronger and pass to the
offensive, Turkish neutrality can be ex-
pected to become increasingly benevo-
lent. Under present conditions, with
Germany at its gates, Turkey must be
meticulously correct in her international
relations. But once that pressure Is re-
leased she can be expected Gf only in
her own INTEREST," to collaborate with the
Allied forces which will surround her.
The most exposed flank of Germany
Is in the East, reaching into Russia as
far as the Volga River and the noun
tains Of the Caucasus. Any advance
through the Balkans toward the Danube
would be deadly threat to German oc-
cupation Of South Russia with all its
wheat, coal and oil. Success of such an
advance would mean German retreat or
disaster all along the Russian front.
Once the Danube were reached, we
could say confidently that this was the
beginning of the end of Germany. The
Rumanian Oil fields no longer would
feed Nazi planes and tanks. Reluctant
Bulgaria would be cut off as an ally;
Axis evacuation of ruined Greece and
Serbia would be inevitable. The Hun
garian wheat fields, like those farther
East, in time would be lost to hungry
vasion into the heart of Southern Ger
many would be open.
But in spite of all its advantages 1t
would seem evident that great Amer
lean land force hardly is likely to follow
such long and circuitous route 1t
takes twice as much shipping to supply
an army 10000 miles away as 1t requires
for one 5000 miles away. Yet our air
forces, to whom distance means less,
already have looked over the area. 1t
is sure to be used by Allied forces in the
inevitable enlightenment of Germany.
If we strike, as we probably shall far
ther west, we may reach Southern Ger
many by another route. In that case we
may we'll meet, along the upper reaches
of the Danube, avenging forces of Rus
sian, Poles, Greeks and Serbs, eager to
join us in the final drive on Berlin.
Regret for "Puerile" Complaints
Expressed by Henderson Admirer.