Evening star., 1943-05-02
History Nay Repeat
in North Africu
BIZ Frederic J. Hdskin.

The greatest guessing game Of all time
relates to the date when the wars OF
Europe, Africa and Asia viii end These
guesses, for they can scarcely be called
predictions, range from optimism that
the conflict will soon cease to the belief
that they may continue for many years.
1t is interesting to observe, however, that
the most conservative guesses do not
reckon the time beyond the 1940's, the
majority placing the end in 1914 or 1945
History does not repeat itself In such
definite pattern as to enable one to
foresee exactly what will happen when
there are signs Of a cycle. It is the
frequent parallels that make the study
interesting, and which give a sort Of
assured prophecy that events will repeat
themselves. In this connection 1t Is
worth while to consider one theater
of the war, which was involved In q
series Of conflicts more than 200 years
before the coming Of Christ. and to see
how many Of the elements involved
then are involved again today.
This was the series Of Carthaginian
wars, and the same territory in North
wars extended over a period Of thou
sand years, and some Of the hardest
fought battles of that long conflict were
staged on the very fields where American
soldiers are fighting today. There were
Greeks. Romans, Vandals and others
connected with the early struggle, just
as there are several races engaged in
the present conflict. .---'
A few observers would not be surprised
if the present war in North Africa be-
comes another Carthaginian struggle.
They would not place the period Of con-
flict at a thousand years. but admit
the possibility Of its lasting far beyond
the estimate of the most conservative
guessers.
1t is usual to think Of North Africa
in terms of desert and 1t is true that
wide expanses of the land are given
over to drifting sands, to aridity only
sparsely relieved by infrequent oases.
Yet it must be remembered that the
country was not always in this condi-
| ton. Ancient Carthage. located not far
| from where Tunis now stands was ex-
| tremely rich in the days of the Cartha-
| ginian and Roman Empires. Even before
the rise of Rome, the Greeks depended
| upon the general region for their supplies
of grain, cattle and much of their other
domestic needs. Carthage traded with
| all the known world.
| There have been changes in the char
acter of the surface of North Africa
and the desert has encroached, yet some
| engineers do not think it impossible for
| its productivity to be restored. Certainly
| it seems that many elements Of the soil
| and climate which made North Africa
the garden spot of the Mediterranean
| must still be present and could be re.
| captured just as worn-out farms in this
and other countries are reclaimed by
scientific methods In Algeria the French
have wrought wonders in restoring land
to productivity through irrigation and
Fother engineering works. The same
might well be undertaken in Tunisia.
When Italy conquered Ethiopia the
| purpose was to obtain more room for the
Italian people But before any definite
| plans could be worked out, the land
was retaken by the British and then
Mussolini, having sway over Libya,
which lies Immediately east Of Tunisia
took new interest in the portions Of
North Africa held by the French and
British Meantime. Hitler came into
the picture. using Mussolini as a tool
evidently not for the purpose of helping
to win North Africa for Italian expan-
sion, but for German development
hoping to restore it to its former pro-
ductive capacity.
| Thus while Romans, Greeks, vandals
and others fought for a land Of plenty,
Germans and Italians are fighting for
land of potentialities. Taking into
consideration the possibility that both
sides may be able to match even strength
for an extended period of time. 1t is
conjecture whether nations will fght
as long for land undeveloped as they
will for one already developed as was
the case of North Africa during the
Carthaginian wars.
1t has been interesting to observe
Mussolini's tactics in connection with
| these North African possessions. After
the conquest of Carthage, Rome built
great cities on that coast and the ruins
of them may still be seen. Mussolini
has spread the symbols Of Roman power
over Libya and has, himself. taken part
in extraordinary ceremonies such as
marked the instatement Of proconsuls
Of the early Roman days. There has
been deliberate and theatrical attempt
| to bring back the splendor OF old Roms
as an African suzerain. and openly there
were preparations for such an under
taking. For example, in 1887. during
Italian naval maneuvers, the feet
stretched barrage Of submarines across
the Mediterranean from Italian terri
| tory on the north to Tunis on the south.
Also Italy placed fortifications on the
island of Pantelleria which lies almost
under the coast of Tunisia ,. go,
Meantime. while all this was going on
France was not asleep Bizerte, IN
Tunisia. was kept fortified and 1t now
seems destined to play an outstanding
part in the present North African strug-
gle. But an interesting point is that
descendants OF some Of the same people
who participated in the Carthaginian
wars are now fighting over the same
| territory. ,.,-
The history of Carthage began about
$50 BIC, when Greeks, who had colonized
in Sicily and founded Syracuse. crossed
the Middle Sea to North Africa. They
soon took on an independent status.
severing their ties. They had wars