The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-17
By REYNOLDS and ELEANOR PACKARD
United Press staff Correspondents

United Press Stan Correspondents
 New York, Nov. l7.-(UP) = The struggle for Bizerte will be the most important battle to date in Africa because on its outcome depends when and where the Allies second front in Europe will be launched.
 An Allied victory would break up the Axis domination of the Medi- terranean waistline between Sicily and Tunisia and relieve the British island of Malta which has been bombed almost daily by German and Italian planes. It would also give the Allies the largest naval base in the Mediterranean, which until now has been out of the war | picture as result of the French armistice.
 Having made an inspection tour of the Bizerte naval base just before World War II started, we realize its great potentialities as an offen- sive springboard for the United Na- 1 tions and feel certain that the Ger mans are abandoning Libya in a desperate attempt to hold Tunisia at all costs. If the Allies gain pos session of Tunisia, then Libya would become untenable for the Germans, but if the Nazis should retain control of Tunisia they would have the hope of winning back Libya and becoming once again threat to Egypt.
 n;-ar@a x,,hinl, hoe ra,,1oi,,ad ,,,, changed since we last saw it, as a result of the French armistice, is [ rightly called the French Gibraltar It is less than 150 miles from Italy's fortified islands of Sardinia on the northest and Sicily on t north east. Rome is only $50 miles away.
 Bizerte is large enough to hold all the fleets of both America and Britain. And once inside this natural naval fortress the ships are protect ed by a mile -lone canal, connecting the outer and inner harbors which the French in better times had dredged to depth of 40 feet and made wide enough for 35,000-ton battleshipS to pass through.
 During our visit We were impress ed by the equipment Of this base which included drydocks. machine and repair shops, underground cis- terms for fuel oil, hewn cut of rock and impregnable to naval and aerial bombardments, coaling facilities. arsenals, barracks and a hospital, all protected by vast Qualifications. There was even a lake well stocked with edible fish to say nothing of a protective hinterland which could provide necessary food supplies in the event of siege. In this way, Bizerte is even superior to Gibraltar We also saw big seaplane port and an airfield as well as a special dock for submarines.
 Despite it's powerful offensive and defensive possibilities Bizerte has been nullified to date because neither of the two warning sides held it. After the French armistice Bizerte became both cypher and a question mark - a cypher, because 1t was inactive. but black and threatening question mark because whoever could seize and hold it could acquire great advantage over the other side. The United States has been the first nation to try to win this vitally stratgic position in the Mediterranean which Fascist posters have long depicted as a pis- tol pointed at the heart of Italy.
 Although the Germans are tenn pcTarily in possession, their occu- patton has been nasty and ill-plan- ned because in their desire to win France over to their side the Nazis