The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-14
Interpreting
The War
BY KIRKE L. s1,tpoo

Tho f;rat E L. simpson
tie OF Italy is taking pls AZ ne e. b,
s5 bridgehead south 5' "a At I,
pies where American tna Of IA.
some British contjnpan UopS VIII
threatening to cut off al I's az
italy from the Nazis at one sg s.r
German recognition ~ S''oae
threat is obvious in the u + Tia;
BENG oelng ma a. to check cs 5oSeel
Clark's efforts to expand b 9ieae'aI
tons inshore. 'N Ills Pos,
At the town Of salern.
Fifth Army troops are " NJ NJ. l>sel
astllde the main rail lines NV r',.l only
southeward down the Italis sua NJ
TO both the toe and heel prov ", ooo'
They have set foot On the psO ttal;
the several lesser rail conpp ,cs' "
" hlch thread the mountaino'1. "oai
"a spine OF The Italian peninsrl'
to join the Tyrrhenian and Ad+-.r'
coasts. ''0Ilalc
AT Salerno Allied forces ars
than so miles airline fro one le e.
Aorlatlc coast The British Fios he
Army's right wing. ALREADY 1 nsa..
OF brindisi, is moving swiftl wv ,r a
that coast presumably to form W
junction with the American F r,
Army and establish Short i -,,1
across the peninsula from tba aug
clnity of Naples to some poirt
the Adriatic. Once this is 3os VI
Allied-seized air bases in soutbs~a
Italy will become a deadly msrs Sl
to the Nazl war industries IN p.
mania, Austria, Hungary Nv. ,'5
Czecho-Slovakia not now re9cbs III.
from Britain.
This seems now to be tbs in
mediate Allied objective 4 trars,
peninsula line from a point nortb
Of Naples on the Tyrrheniap coaa
to the Adriatic would be the sbor.
est and would afford good cove,
age for the vital airfields aim,
the lower Adriatic coast aIrpadv
falling into British hands But Al.
LIED plans may not call for a front
that far north.
In any event, the campaign does
not suggest any Allied purpose Of
attempting to occupy all Italy. Its
detectives are more likely 70 prove
the seizure only Of the southern
portion of the boot in order to
bring up closer the air attach
against Germany and her Balka
satellites and, as diversiOna2
measure, to force Withdrawal
Nazi troops from Russia.
There are clear indications tia,
some such transfers already haze
been made. German air power
beng Withdrawn in great!
strength also either from Russia
CT from the German industrial
home front to meet the menace
III Italy. To that extent the Italian
invasion is already exercising a
strong influence on military de-
velopments in Russia at a crucial
1t is the outcome Of the fighting
about the Salerno bridgehead, how
ever, that will probably determine
lust how far north the Allied line
will be drawn from
coast to coast in Italy. An early
break-through by Clarhs men
northeastWard on that front could
still trap considerable Naz forces
retreating from southern I,aF BE-
fore the advancing Britisa
Nazi occupation of R0~s @a
Gates that they hope t.& lie
good Italian ;-@2
in that vicinity to check o.
the Allied air attacks from
ern Italy on Rumanlan oil MA
and installations or war 1a:~
targets elsewhere in the Balhs.a
in Austria or in southeastern 0''
many. The clear air supeEIo,-'
the Allies have already deToa
strated in the Italian canLpal'-
however, makes that DUBIOUS u
lance for Berlin.
-V-