Evening star., 1943-06-16
Axis Believes Kings
African Visit May Be
Linked With Invasion
Rome and Berlin Worried
Over Triple Allied Threot
In Africo, Turkey, Russia
BY the Associated Press.

key INTO the war soon and OF
constantly growing Allied naval
forces in the Central Mediterra-
mean high lighted enemy ner-
vousness today at the possibility
that King Georges visit to troops
in North Africa was a prelude to
large-scale offensives.
Unoficial military commentators
here conjectured that the Allies
might attempt the simultaneous cap
ture of Sicily from North Africa and
Crete from the Middle East before
invading the European mainland.
These observers, who cannot be
identified, said the renewed bomb
ing offensive against Sicily strongly
pointed to that island as one of
the first on the Allied invasion
schedule, and that the reported SEAL
ing of the border between Turkey
and Syria might be a precaution to
cover the secrecy of military move
ments.
Axis Nationals Reassured.
While both the Rome and Berlin
radios continued to harp on reports
OF Allied preparations, both renewed
assurances to Italians and Germans
that Axis armed forces were ready
and calmly awaiting the test.
One Rome broadcast, quoting
Premier Mussolinis II Popolo
d'Italia, pointed out that it termed
the advantages Of being invaded.
up to now the Axis forces had
to hight with their backs to the sea-
1t said. Now it will be the turn of
the Americans and the British to
flnd themselves in that position
Both Crete and Sicily would be
| dimcult to take, commentators here
emphasized, and Cairo dispatches,
quoting military quarters there,
said an attack on Sicily might take
two or three months.
| Axis broadcasters declared a great
invasion feet was massing in the
western half of the Mediterranean
and from semiofficial sources in
Ankara came a report that the
Allies had closed Syrias frontier
with Turkey.
The Berlin radio. however, in a
broadcast Of Ankara dispatches
asserted the Turkish-Syrian FROM
tier was not closed and that the
Istanbul- Baehdad train was run
ming as usual.
Deny Frontier Closed.
"All that has been done is that
frontier control has been made more
strict" with particular attention to
persons bearing Syrian or Iraq visas
the radio said.
Oficial Allied sources remained
silent, giving no hint what these re-
ports. if true. might portend.
Unofncial observers here sug-
gested the Ankara announcement
might indicate that the British 9th
and 10th Armies and United States
troops that have been quietly build
ing up strength in Syria, Palestine,
1raq and Iran might now be moving
or planning to move suddenly.
The Daily Herald quoted German
reports that the Allies had built up
an invasion army" in Syria.
The British Broadcasting Corp.
interpreted closing Of the 350-mile
border as move Ito check leakage
of information from Syria and
Palestine to Germany through
Turkey"
Admiral Visits Turkey.
Speculation coupled the reported
border closing with the visit to Tur-
key this week of Admiral Sir John
Cunningham. appointed British
commander in chief in the Levant
only last week.
Admiral Cunningham talked with
President Ismet Inonu for 80 min
utes on Monday and also conferred
with Premier Sukru Saracoglu and
other high Turkish officials.
The Berlin radio. which reported
last night that Admiral Cunning
ham had left Ankara yesterday in
the direction of Syria. asserted that
Britain was trying to bring Turkey
in on her side, but the Turk will not
be pressed"
In an interview in Ankara last
night with Frank j. OrBrien of the
Associated Press, Premier Saracoglu
gave no light on the Syrian border
question, but discussing his own
country's position in the interna-
tional picture he left the impression
that Turkey is playing an important
role in the development of Balkan
affairs.
Backs United Nations Greed.
The Premier, who said Turkey
would continue the strictest Wig
ilance toward neutrality, indicated
his government was impressed with
American conduct of the war and
expressed surprise that recent Med
iterranean events have moved so
swiftly.
Nater in speech to the
National Assembly, broadcast by
the Ankara radio and recorded by
the United States Federal Com
munications Commission, Mr..
Saracoglu declared Turkey will
assert all It's strength to do away
with war after this one is
finished.
C'We feel such affinity with
some of the declarations made
by United Nations statesmen that
we make them our own" he
declaredD
A broadcast by the Leningrad
radio, recorded here by the Ministry
OF Information, raised the possibility
meanwhile. that Allied strategy may
be to strike at Axis Europe from
several directions at once.
Red Move Forecast.
There can be no doubt that the
blow against Hitlerite Germany from
the west will coincide with a mighty
crushing blow of the Red Army from
the east" the Leningrad report said
Berlin nervously reminded Ger
mans in a broadcast reported by
Reuters that the Russians were
massing south of Moscow. Obviously
q 1arnoeS ot fbic or6 fha roJoo%1~..