Evening star., 1943-09-30
The Road to Rome
After Naples Falls
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.


into the Plain of Naples, and the Ger
mans appear to be in full retreat-hoW
fast and how far remains to be seen. 1t
is difficult to tell, as yet, just how much
the German retreat was due to the
tactical efforts of the 5th Army, ana
how much to the strategical threat OF
the 9Th Army, which from Foggia now
begins to threaten to cut of the German
retreat altogether; to which may De
added the threat to the German COM
munications presented by Allied air
power operating from Foggia, and from
Sardinia and Corsica.
At any rate, the 5th Army Is IN
Castellamare and Nocera, and can now
advance on both sides of Mount VesuVlus
directly upon Naples. The passage be-
tween Vesuvius and the sea is narrow,
and could be easily defended for time
bv the Germans If it were not for the
fact that inland from Vesuvius, lying
directly before the Allied troops at
Nocera, is a broad fat avenue OF ap-
proach almost ideally suited for swift
armored thrust which-if successful
would quickly cut off any Germans try
ing to hold the corridor between We
suvius and the sea- 1t does not seem,
from the map, that Naples can now be
defended at all unless the Germans
want to start street fighting behind bar
ricades; and if they did that they would
lose more than they gained, for the
troops engaged in that sort of fighting
would soon be isolated.
Straight ahead up the broad approach
from Nocera lies the railway junction
OF Cancello, about 20 miles away, and
with nothing but open country (serviced
by a network of excellent roads, in be-
tween. Ten miles west of Cancello, still
in open country, is the rail junction OF
Aversa. These two functions control
all save one OF the railways between
Naples and the north, the one remain
ing being the new coastal line which
Joins the main line north of Aversa.
Aversa also controls the main Naples
Rome highway A thrust forward to
Cancello, and thence to Aversa at any,
thing like the speed with which Gen.
Montgomery, also in open country,
pushed from Carignola into Foggia,
would trap the German forces in and
around Naples.
Barring their ability to hold off such
q thrust by counterattack in sufficient
force, their danger is now acute. The
terribly swift exploitation Of the break
through Of the German center before
Tunis by two British armored divisions
must be In the mind Of Field Marshal
Won Kesselring at this moment. Then,
OF course, Van Arnim's reserves had
been absorbed; he had no chance to
counterattack. We must not assume
that Won Kesselring is in the same con-
dition. But If he is not able to counter
attack, he must run, and he must run
fast and far. or he will certainly be
trapped and smashed" as Gen. Eisen-
hover has promised.
In other words, Naples is as good as
ours, and the road to Rome is open.
We have gained territorial objectives OF
some consequence; we do not know yet
whether we have succeeded in breaking
up the enemy's forces.
It is hard to see how the Germans,
having practically lost Naples, can hope
to hang on to Rome. The broad coastal
plain lies ahead Of our troops, flanked by
the sea, which we control, covered by our
aircraft from bases close behind, and
from bases in Sardinia and Corsica. At
one point, near Gaeta the coastal plain
narrows, and the Germans might elect
to stand there for time. But they will
do SO at their very great peril unless
they now put into Central Italy more
troops than they have cared to risk
in Southern Italy. Moreover, they have
reckon with, the British under that
master of speed and hard hitting, Gen.
Montgomery. Wherever they stand,
they can be outf1anked by the 9th Army
unless they also can find enough troops
to hold Gen. Montgomery at bay.
1t looks very much as though the time
Of the Allied entry into Rome will be
governed by our supply arrangements
and the delays incidental to all move
ment in the face OF the enemy, rather
than by German ability to defend the
approaches to the Eternal City. A
descent from the sea is always possible,
as an aid to progress toward Rome; and
so are airborne operations The mill
tary value Of Rome is not great, in any
case, but 1t has some prestige value as
the capital of a former Axis power, and
certainly every Christian will feel a sem
sation Of relief at knowing that a city
which has meant 50 much to Christen-
dom has been relieved from occupation
by those who do not hesitate to declare
themselves the enemies of our God as
we'll as of ourselves.
On the basis of what they are repre-
sented to have done in Naples, we must
however feel some anxiety as to what
devastation the Germans may carry out
In Rome, once they decide that they
cannot continue to hold It, They are
quite capable of leaving the city in ruins.
or of leaving Suicide force" to defend
1t to the last and thus bring about it's
ruin in manner in which they could
seek to place the blame on the Allies.
(Copyright, 1a43, New York Tribune Incl
Freedom of Common Sense
From the New York Sun.
New York regional War Labor Board
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