Evening star., 1942-11-06
Thinks RommeI Defect
May Turn Tide Of War
Military Writer Sees Failure
Of Germans at StoIinerod
Also Injury to Nozi Morale
Bu Maj. George Fielding Eliot

~ S'S"S ~ SaN"'oO
Also Injury to Nozi Morale
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.
In Egypt yesterdays promise Of victory
appears to have been fulfilled. We may
well have reached the long-awaited turn
ing point Of the war.
Men began to talk hopefully OF this
turning point when it became apparent
that the Germans were not going to gain
their objective in Russia this year. The
firm these hopeful views-not only do
the Germans seem certain to fall far
short of their Russian hopes for 1912, but
it is possible to speak in terms of COM
parison with Verdun, OF the grinding up
OF the German Army and the permanent
impairment Of its offensive powers.
1t has likewise been very plain that
materially reduced though there are
hints that new units armed with planes
of'new models may presently make their
appearance. Reports from neutral
sources have indicated that the German
failures in Russia have had at least a
SOLDERING effect on the Germans morale.
But the effect on our minds OF the
German failure before Stalingrad has
been long drawn out. It has not come in
a single day or a single week. We have
asked ourselves, How long can the Rus
slams hold out?" and we have not always
viewed the results of this Russian resist
ance against the background OF German
purposes and German necessities which
that resistance has frustrated.
The splendid victory of the force under
Gems. Alexander and Montgomery in
Egypt comes with a swift and dramatic
suddenness which may well give it
place In history as the first visible sign
and portent of the turning of the tide.
The terrific power of the blows struck
in such rapid succession and with such
great effect tell us that at last the
weight of the industrial effort of the
United States is making itself felt. The
period of preparation is drawing to an
end and the United Nations are passing
slowly, steadily, irresistibly to the Of
fensive.
The one German hope, as these ar
ticles have repeatedly pointed out, has
been to inf1ict decisive defeat on Russia
this year before America could get ready.
This hope disappeared, perishing amidst
the thunders and flames OF the siege of
Stalngrad, and the time. the precious,
Invaluable, irreplaceable time which our
Russian Allies there bought for us with
their blood, is being put to good and
fruitful use on the sands of the Egyptian
desert. This is only the first use that
will be made of it. AS Sir Stafford Cripps
has remarked, the North African Often
sive is only the first Of many offensive
operations, increasing in scale and scope
as our resources increase, which will be
undertaken against our enemies until
those enemies are utterly crushed.
Each such operation which is sue
cessful will open the way for others.
Thus the victory in Egypt may well
bring our forces into possession of all
Cyrenaica and even of Tripolitania. may
bring to an end for good and all the
Axis foothold on the African shore. II
this should happen, the island of Malta
becomes an offensive air and naval base
OF great Importance, which can be
directly supported from Benghazi Sicily
lies open to attack, and the Germans
will have before them the choice of
maintaining a great German garrison
in Sicily or of losing that island and
with 1t all possibility of controlling or
even checking the movements of our
shipping in the Mediterranean. 1t may
be said that they WILL OF course, main
tain such garrison, but the point to be
kept In mind is that they cannot 20 on
indefinitely undertaking new military re-
sponsibilities, while we can go on for
long time at least with enterprises
which will call upon them to do so. Their
power is declining and ours is rising.
They are feeling, at long last, the grim.
steady pressure of blockade.
Thus it is now within the possibilities
that we may see the Mediterranean open
to our conveys within the near future,
fact which will be of the utmost value
to our enterprises in every part of the
world, not only as relief to our needs
for shipping by eliminating the long
pull around the Cape Of Good Hope, but
also as relief to our naval response
bilities. The North Atlantic and the
Pacific will feel the benefits almost i'm
mediately; and all this is aside from the
relaxation OF the strain of maintaining
the precarious and dangerous situation
in Egypt created by Rommels thrust for
ward to Ell Alamein.
This is only one, though the most
Immediately important, of the promising
advantages of victory in Egypt. That
victory is not yet complete; but 1t seems
likely to become so One might very
well add that, as a contribution to the
mutual confidence of the grand alliance,
Americans may we'll be gratified that this
victory has been won under British COM
mand, by a British army largely, though
not entirely. composed Of British troops.
There has been altogether too much ir-
responsible and ill-informed criticism of
British fighting qualities and capacity
for command of late, and we may hope
that some of these critics at least, those
who can be said to have open minds at
all, may now stand confounded
Copyrisht 1912, New York Tribune, Inc.