Evening star., 1943-01-03

"iAo iu1uoI YVES current mere that thl
war is going to move to Scandinavia thi
winter. Whatever the rumor is worth
the naval engagement has given it new
vitality.
In the sky over Tunisia P-38s, Spit.
nres, Flying Fortresses, Messerschmitts
and Focke-Wulfs are busy at their deadly
tasks. The air phase is the Tunisian
campaigns most active chapter. The
Raj and the American 18th Army Air
Force has better record so far than
the Axis, but the Germans and italians
are getting men over to Tunisia in a
steady stream in spite of the Allied air
strength and there is little good news
for the Allies a6out the battle on the
ground for Tunisia A visitor to Wash
lngton from London said last week that
many persons in England thought the
United Nations would do we'll to take
Tunisia by March IS.
An American patrol during the week
pushed within 40 miles of Gabes, which
Is on the Gulf of Tunisia, not far above
the Tunisian frontier with Tripolitania.
From Gabes it would be possible to strike
toward Tripolitana so put Gen. Rom
mels troops in wise The Allies lost
hill near Medjez-el-Bab and thus new
difficulties were created about the Job of
advancing to Bizerte and Tunis and set
ting the Tunisian issue British naval
vessels sent to the bottom two Axis sup
ply ships approaching Tunis and dam
aged two Others
The Germans on Wednesday sent ar
mored' forces into action in Northern
Tunisia in order to
French Aid weaken the French
In Compoiqn hold on Pont-du-Fahs.
which is 30 miles from
Tllnis On the previous day United
States troops withdrew from their Med
jez-elBab hill position, which they had
won on Christmas day. French troops
captured a position for the Allies north
west of Heidous, which is a few miles
north of Medjez-el-Bab.
The settling of the campaign in Tu-
nisia will undoubtedly be accelerated by
the settling of the campaign in Tripoli-
tania. which is approaching its climax.
The Tripolitanian campaign was CEN
tered at the weeks end around the gulch
known as Wadi Bel Ell Chebir, 180
miles east of the city Of Tripoli Gen.
Rommel continues to retreat, but even
If he does not stop to fight, the pursuing
army under Gen Bernard l.. Montgom-
cry can cover the 180 miles only slowly.
If Ronlmel intends to move on past
Tripoli and make an effort to join the
Axis forces in Tunisia, he must use the
coastal road that will take him through
the town of Gabes. Thus Gabes becomes
the object of race of armies-on the
one hand Rommels, on the other the
Allies. The German radio reported that
Allied forces were within 80 miles of
Gabes. while news from North Africa
said 40 In time the truth about what is
happening in Tunisia may be made
a secret campaign.
1t IS also the campaign that produces
the most trying political problems which
the Allies have met anywhere. Gen.
Charles de Gaulle, leader of the French
National Committee Ohe Fighting
French), let it be known through his
spokesmen last week that he desires the
establishment of French government.
He wants to cooperate with Gen Henri
Honore Giraud. the high commissioner
of North Africa, but on Friday his asso-
ciates let it be known that the prelude
to this cooperation would be the BAN
ishment of a number of officials from
Giraud's council who formerly were the
loyal servants of the Petain govern
ment in Vichy. In the United States,
President Roosevelt said he expected a
visit over here from Gen. de Gaulle, but
at the same time informal steps were
taken by Washington to let De Gaulle
know that the United States disapproves
any thought for the creation of pro-
visional French government. The ar
rival of crisis for the United Nations
as a result of Gen. de Gaulle's interest
in North Africa and Gen. Giraud is not
far off.
Gen. Giraud on Wednesday had II
men in North Africa arrested-two of
them formerly his good friends-in
apprehension lest new political assassi-
nations follow the recent murder of
Admiral Jean Francois Darlan. These
arrests testify to the political insta-
bility of the region in which the soldiers
fighting in Tunisia have their bases
the region of Algeria and Morocco.
Giraud feared the assassins might harm
Robert Murphy, United States Minister
in North Africa.
For the Red armies it was the week
Of weeks.
Their long struggle to surround the
~ divisions of Gen. Fedor Won Book
in Staligrad and in the Caucasus
reached a new chapter. for they took
the rail town Of Kotelnikovski Outside
Elista, on the bleak steppe Of Kalmyck,
which Is ITS miles from the Caspian
Sea. the Russians established a peg
for a line they can throw across the
top of the Caucasian isthmus and there
trap the Germans who spent the last
months of summer and the early months
of autumn penetrating that region. Far
to the north the Russians finally took
the town of Veliki Luki which is only
90 miles from Latvia-a point of great
importance.
Both these operations are much alike,
In that both of them are. carried out in
advance of the strong enemy positions.
The fighting for the most part is CEN
tered along railroad lines. The Rus
slams are able to move almost at will