The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-20

Rommel has q great concentra-
ton Of antl-aircraft artillery In
the northern corner Of Tunisia to
which he has withdrawn. This In
cludes not only his own stuff, but
also the artillery OF Gen. Won
Arnim's units. He will be able
to put up q blanket Of anti-air-
craft fire SO intense that Allied
air attacks will be costly.
In addition, the Germans win
try 70 bring an air umbrella
from Italy, 10 cover Rommeps
evacuation. This Is the same
strategy adopted by the British
for the evacuation from Dun
keFQue, when they withdrew
their planes from the Continent,
repaired, reRueled, then whipped
hack across the Channel, cleared
the skies, and kept an UNI
brella over the British forces UNI
I'll the evacuation was accom-
pllshed.
But, foreseelng this, Allied planes
already are strafing Sicilian air-
fields and knocking out Axis
planes on the ground, to prevent
The air umbrella from ever UNI
folding.
Also RosnmeI must begin
partial evacuation ut once, re-
CARELESS Of whether he tries 10
hold Tunis and Blxerte. He
has SO many men in that small
area that they get In their own
way. This partial evacuation
can be accomplished, under
cover Of night, across the short
waist OF the Mediterranean, be-
tween Tunis and Sicily.
But to evacuate his entire force
Of nearly 100000 Is regarded i'm
possible. The Judgment Of War
Department experts Is that he will
deliver safely about one-tenth of
his men, or 10000. The rest--a
force Of $780, OOO-will be killed
or captured, in q catastrophe Of
such magnitude that Tunis and
Bizerte will come to rank along
side Sebastopol and Stalingrad.
But because Of Rommeps ter
rifle anti-air strength, the losses
will not be ON one side alone.
SECRETARIES OF THE NAVY
North Carolinas able Congress
man Graham Barden is not only
an expert on naval affairs but has
a sense Of humor. Once he sent
Secretary Of the Navy Knox a
clipping from the Raleigh IN. c.
News and Observer, published by
former Secretary Of the Navy Jo-
sephus Daniels.
The clipping contained q picture
of Knox and Secretary Of War
Stimson with the caption "Am-
bassad0r and MRS. Lltvinoff". Un-
der another picture Of the RUS
sian ambassador and his wife were
the names Of Knox and Stimson.
Congressman Barden facetiously
suggested that Secretary Knox
should take this UP with his pre-
decessor. ex-Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels.
Knox. q newspaper publisher
himself, played 1t straightface. He
replied In q very formal letter
that Josephus Daniels doubtless
had made q typographical error
and meant no harm.
RATIONTNG THE zoo
Confronted with the food Short
age. National Zoo Director Bill
Mann, Is trying to fool the mon.
keys. Bananas are scarce, so
DR.. Mann has devised q paste
made OF sweet potatoes. while 20.
tatoes, and . little honey-ail
mixed Up together-whlch he
passes off as substitute for ban.
anas.
The soft-hlll birds take 10 IL
al right. but the monkeys look at
him with one eye shut as they eat,
indicating they know what tricks
he Is up 70.
The meat problem n not IS
bad as you might suppose, fer
the liens have been getting heFse
meat Instead es beef Scr q iong
tlme--eveF since the price 81
beet began 10 rise several years
ago. what's more, horse meat
GENES closer 10 The Hons NJ.
tuFal diet Of zebra.
Like any housewife, DR.. Mann
driven 10 resouFcefulnegs. what
10 do about these ant eggs he
used 10 get from Germany and
Japan9 The birds loved them.
and some Of his fancy creatures
have the most eclectic tastes.
Well. Or. Mann has turned 70
the Coed Nelghhor policy, and Is
importing q substitute dellcacy IN
the form ol dried Mexican flies,
Since the days Of the Azteca. the
folk below The niO 0rande have