The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-03-05
By ALBERT LEMAN


on Denmark as the locale of the
second front. Nearly everyone
surmises that allied hosts will be
hurled against France or Norway.
But the public would be amazed
If 1t knew what an important
place the little Viking nation
holds in the plans Of the military.
Nothing short of a colossal
undertaking. requiring mil
lions of warriors a. in 1914
Is. would be worth while in
France. II might take a cou-
pie of bloody years to reach
the old Meuse-Argonne line
and still our soldiers would
he far from the solar plexus
Of Germany. A blow at Nor
way would be a costly over
seas adventure, puncturing
only the outer rim of the axis
stronghold.
Orthodox generals always re-
jected Denmark's narrow penin-
sula because it is only $50 miles
long and crisscrossed by too
many inlets and canals to per-
NIT the maneuvering of large
armies. The west coast of Jut-
land is lined with dunes and off
shore sand bars are pounded by a
heavy surf. Except for Esbjerg
and Aalborg, there are no harbors
for an expeditionary force. Intel
ligence agents say that the Luft-
waite conceals hydroplanes in the
gullies between the bluffs and
concentrates Messerschmitts near
Viborg in the interior.
A glance at a map clearly
shows the strategic value of King
Christians homeland. If it can
be occupied, the United Nations
can slash Nazi communications
to Norway, plug the Baltic sub
marine exits and hammer from
the skies northern German cities
from Berlin to Holland.
Daring staff specialists believe
the nut can be cracked. The art
of landing from barges in rough,
shallow water has been greatly
advanced in this war The allies
could muster enough air power to
dominate every beach and field.
The battle itself would be the
fiercest since the days of PERISH
ing and casualty lists might reach
CHASTITY totals.
Captain Eddie Rickenbacker is
crusading in the South this week
flaying labor leaders for not pre-
venting strikes. absenteeism and
other wartime disgraces among
their followers. Spokesman of the
AFL and the CLIO were so badly
stung by his words that they
combed the dictionary for in
vectives and threw them at the
famous First World War ace. But
the most unusual backfire has just
been started by the national mari
time union in New York.
Ii has organized flying
squad of seafaring veterans
who have been torpedoed and,
like Rickenbacker, cast adrift
in open boats. This delegation
will trail the hero, attend
every meeting at which he
speaks and attempt to gain
the floor and answer his anti
union arguments. All sorts
of violence may flare up if
the sailors crash the gate.
They feel hurt because they be-
heve the public oyerlooks the
creditable activities of laboring
men and listens instead to at
tacks made against all workers for
the sins of few. They want to tell
the nation that in the first year
of the conflict more than three
thousand merchant seamen were
killed and that one of Ricken-
hackers companions during the
terrible twenty-five days spent on
raft was Corporal John Bartek,
a member of the textile workers
union. They complain that their
reward is brickbats.
From time to time hints drop
ped in soldiers letters or cor
respondents dispat ches give
Americans the impression that
Australia forbids shipment of her
own troops beyond her borders. A
prominent businessman from
Down Under gives the following
explanation:
Volunteers 90 everywhere.
Thousands were lost in Hong
Kong. Malaga and the Dutch
Indies. Thousands more fought
the battles of Libya and now
patrol the Levant. The RAP is
filled with Diggers. United
States air forces in England
discovered that many of their
navigators, newly arrived from
schools in America, were still
too inexperienced TO guide our
great bombers over Europe 50
they utilized Aussies trained
- ok.-.f.... .o.,-s..