The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-22
Demand Churchill
 Explain Tobruk Fall
Continued from Page D

Almost the only encouraging note came from the conservative times:
 "The presence in this area of new heavy American bombers and of units of the American navy, con- bined with the probability that our Mediterranean fleet will before long be reinforced by the return to ser- vice of ships damaged in last years engagements will give ground for hope that Tobruk will not be of much use to the enemy as 6 port. :"
 Lord Beaverbrook, newspaper pro- prietor and until recently a cabinet member, continued his one-man campaign for second front. At 8 salute to Russia" meeting at Birm- ingham yesterday he said:
 "The army in my opinion is ade- quately equipped for opening a sec- ond front. It is waiting for 1t and is wanting to do 1t.
 "The need is urgent. There must be no unnecessary delay in sending forthwith a second expeditionary force to fight on a second front.
 Some persons in high places have stood firmly against second front. We must let them go their way"
 BY RICHARD D. MCMILLAN Limited Press Staff Correspondent
 Cairo, June 22. = (UP) - British mobile forces, thrusting out to meet the ar1nored forces of the Germans and Italians rolling eastward through the desert, have established contact with an enemy column at Sidi Azeiz, 12 miles northwest of Fort Capuzzo on the Egyptian front fer, the middle eastern command re- ported today.
 It was indicated that both sides were feeling out the no mans land in front of the Egyptian border in readiness for the next phase of a campaign in which the Germans had thrown the British out of Libya and had taken "impregnable" Tobruk.
 The communique of the Middle Eastern command, reporting that contact with the enemy had been established yesterday in the Sidi Azeiz area, admitted that there was no further news from Tobruk and said only that 1t must be pre- sumed to have fallen"
 In their new frontier line, the British Empire forces, minus the estimated 25,0O0 of their comrades made prisoner at Tobruk, awaited an Axis attack which 1t was feared might develop into gigantic Ger man double thrust for Suez and the Russian Caucasus.
 The battle of Libya had been turned into the battle of Egypt by a German victory in which power full British tank force had been wiped out in a deadly desert ann- bush.
 Axis forces had taken Tobruk and the desert stronghold of Sir Fl Gobi, 40 miles inland.
 Light enemy advanced clements had taken Bardia, on the coast Ia miles north of the frontier.
 Outsmarted British
 It was evident that German Col onel- General Erwin Rommel, whose Afrika Korps had outsmarted and outfought the British Empire army under Lieutenant General Neil M Ritchie, might attack at any time.
 Ominously, unidentified planes believed certain to have been enemy ones had flown over Nicosa, Cyprus, 126 miles from Free French Syria and 2SO miles from Egypt, yester- day, causing one hour air raid alarm.
 At the same time Axis planes re- newed their merciless attacks on Malta, now more than ever isolated in its lonely position south of Sicily
 There were experts here who be- lieved that the German Afrika Korps might start drive eastward across Egypt while parachute troops from Crete, 25O miles away, effected landings in the British rear.
 By the Axis victory, the British Empire forces had been pushed back to the position of two years ago when Italy entered the war. Worse, the Germans now had strong parachute forces in Crete anc there was no telling when or where they might attack in a completely new kind of fighting.
 From the present British line 1t is 125 miles to Marsa Matruh, the greaA Egyptian advanced base anc railroad center, and 1t is another 165 miles to Alexandria, the British fleet base. Crete is 360 miles from Alexandria, and $40 miles from Cy- prus. The Italian Dodecanese Islandi are 250 miles from Cyprus.
 The Germans, their grip on thu entire Mediterranean frightened were now in position to attack Egypt and could link Cyprus in another part of Q great drive for mtddl' eastern oil and the Caucasus. How has it happened9 This cor Nau.za..S... aa<..t ns4nsak kfar1maar14 fIaN fNU