The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-06-03
, SATURDAY. JUNE 3, 1914
Interpreting
The War .
BY KIRKE L. srwpso>,
Associated Pres. w, W oON

al v,;ts; ', Aofne must be decd,
cd within hours. Nazi deta1 lo'
south of the city, were ,v...s'
crumbling as darkness . smD'y
lsaly to indicate German ni, "a
retreat in progress along the w msnf
Is mile front to the Tiber n %%'le
put whether into Rome i4s DeNa;
beyond it to spare the : Ffs-. or
City was uncertain. H'e;nal
Until that is known t,s,.
De no assurance that Rono can
mot become another Rotterdam may
warsaw or staling1ad. snn or
Casino ground to -,lbb1o 1no Her
the iron heel of modern war r1U n
lied commanders hardy ds~ 49, NJ
pass it to leave a powerfnl 10y oy'
force in their rear. ''-elny
To outflank it across the 25s,,
plain between the Appeniones ', ale
the sea it dominates in tbe o.s qua
~ m0a ~ We neaVy and costly task
10 the advancing armies Nor 09 y.
mere any hint of diso-derlv ron4
Bitter rear guard action ali a, cu,
tine line despite Nazi loss ~ '4 ts
valmontone and Velletri main .r
chors of the shattered enen,, wv, s al.
tense line is officially noted fror,
Naples. 1ioiA
German realization that The W.,
montone-Velletri position wax ,or.
even before their capture was Al
Lied announced, was reflected in ~
expedited enemy flight I'm tba
Sacco valley in the south IN e o'
cape the closing jaws of the Al,
lies tWo-army wise.
Escape Route Shut
Eighth army occupation o, F,o
sine and Ferentino, down the main
Rome-Naples high road below Val
montone, snapped the next 10 last
escape hatch for German divisioY,
in flight from the sacco valIar
trap. A cross road loads north
through Anagni about midway N
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS span q,
the Via Casilina to connect in tho
subsidiary highway up the valIev
lying close under the impossible
Slmorulai range beyond. 1t seems
certain the General Clark's Fifth
army is smashing hard to exploit
its Valmon1 one break through
quickly and reach that enemy ga :.
way route also A three-mile ad.
vance north of Valmoatone ove-
flat ground would render the stu.
alton of Nazi forces falling back
UP the Sacco still desperate
At this Stage of the battle. en-
t-apment and destruction of enemy
forces well may be deemed by the
Allied supreme field command
in Italy, General Alexander. mora
important than immediate invest.
meat or occupation of Rome.
There can be title doubt that
Alexander's direc+ives call UPON
him to avoid turning his guns or
bombers against Rome If there is
any way to avoid it.
If any substantial part of the es-
timated eight or more bat cred
German division in flight up the
Sacco valley could be cut to pieces
it would certainly compel the Ger
man high command to rush re-.
placements to Italy from othe-,
fronts, Or from the main enemy
reserve pool in Germany
Aside from the psychological and
political effect of the capture Of
Rome, the probable main value
of the italian offensive in Rus.
sian-Allied STACEY is its diversion
possibilities. 1t has definitely an
chored there divisions Germany
needed desperately elsewhere, but
there has been no evidence that
up to now any additional Naz
troops have been shuttled to that
front.
The fight has gone at pace
and unde- circumstances, however,
tending to heighten the POSSIBLE
ty of a major military disaster
fo- the foe il the wake Of collapse
of each of his successive defense
stands.
There is no certainty as to just
how far the Allied pursuit Of a
heate- ~ is destined to 60 beyond
Rome if it is German abando1ed'
With Rome lost the rest Of the
peninsula can have very little value
to the Foe, however It looms as
more of liability than an asset
to the Germans.
/