Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 August 1943 — Page 5

ETI

To Neutral Nations at ‘East and West Ends of Mediterranean Are of Great Strategic

Military Value to Axis and- Allies.

By RICHARD MOWRER Copyright, 1943, by The Indianapolis Times and The Chicago Daily News, Inc.

ALLIED HEADQUARTERS IN NORTH AFRICA, Aug. 26.—Although the central Mediterranean. continues to be the focal center of interest in the war theater, there are + two ‘neutral countries strategically situated at either end of ‘the Mediterranean—Turkey in the east and Spain in the west—worthy of attentive consideration. : Neither Spain nor Turkey is at war either against the * allies or against the axis, but their presence in the front row . of the Mediterranean war theater automatically brings them into the picture of war strategy. ~ + Spain has a Fascist regime and a pro-axis. policy. + Franco's Spain is indebted to Germany and Italy for winning vy the civil war 1936 to 1939. : ™ While not outright at war|sia. These Spanish soldiers - with: Russia, Spain has sent|are known as the blue divi-

* Spanish soldiers to fight Rus-|{sion, an all Spanish unit. {ryan z Aside from this restricted

participation in the war on the side of the axis, Spain has managed to keep out of the conflict. But owing to its important geographical loca-

and continues to be strategically important to both German and allied war plans. May Drive Into Spain : There is always the chance that German forces will attempt to drive into Spain, Gibraltar, Tangiers and Spanish Morocco to cut off the allies in North Africa, now deeply committed to large-scale operations in the Mediterranean. The allies are vitally dependent on their sea ‘lanes through the narrow straits of Gibraltar, Spain is of interest to the allies Yes, we . teach jitterbug! |lalso because during and after the Come in today for a free '|igpanish civil war many airdromes trial lesson and see thow Jere built by the Germans in the quickly you can” learn this peninsula. If the Germans could youthful dance craze ithat use these airdromes the allies has swept the country. Lessons are given privately or would be seriously hampered, not x only in the Mediterranean area: hut

le Piva. studios, open ; Hl; So the Atlante,

Spain being neutral, or at least non-belligerent, Germans have acARTHUR MURRAY cess through the country to Tan8814 N. Pennsylvania St. giers and to Spanish Morocco and FR. 1020 they can view the allies’ sea lane ._Jithrough the straits of Gibraltar

3 . : : from either Spanish shores or Afri- ~ Railroadmen's \ can shores. It is wise, therefore, not to think of the war in this theater as being entirely concentrated in the central Mediter~ ranean.

Turkey at Other Pole

Turkey, Spain’s opposite member at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, is likewise of intense interest to the allies and to the Germans. Turkey's regime is neither pro-democratic nor profascist. It is strongly nationalistic and is not concerned with international ideology. Turkey's foreign policy has been a very clever one of neutrality, although Turkey continues to regard its pre-war alliance with Britain as binding. An interesting contrast with Spain is that whereas the axis built most of Spain’s airfields, the British for the past three years have. built nearly all those in Turkey. The allies, however, are not permitted by the Get Money for a New Roof, [Turks to use these fields, which toInsulation, Storm Sash and Bother with Turkey's million men . under arms and the allied flow of Other Repairs Now! war equipment into the country, serve to diminish the chances of A Loan to Cover Repairs aggression. Another interesting

contrast with Spain is that in Turand an Old Mortgage Often key the Germans haven't done very

Results in a Lower Monthly well in the matter of getting tech

Payment. nicians into the country, whereas ' [the allies have done very well in-

qdeed. The reason is that Turkey SEE US FOR DETAILS is getting most of her war equip-

ment, including planes, ‘from the : 3 naturally necessary to show the

Turks how to operate what - they IL) $8018 seas an it mn 10 import.

—

BD new shoes make jon “walk on eggs”?

SIZES 5 to 14 AAAAWE

tion, Spain has always been|

allies, and allied technicians are}

81 mans can find sufficient troops to

| CHANGE OF RAID ON

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Decker

Mr. and Mrs, William C. Decker, 2927 N. Colorado st., recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family picnic at Garfield park. Six -children and their families living in Indianapolis who attended the celebration Aug. 8, included Virgil G. Decker, Carl C. Decker, Mrs. William M. Welsh, Mrs. Calvin J. Vandiver, Mrs. Floyd Miles, and Mrs. Arthur Lady. They have two other children, 16 grandchildren and a great-grand-child.

POLTAVA NEXT AFTER KHARKOV

Military Indications Point To Early Capture of Important City.

Copyright, 1943, by The Indianap 3 Time and The Chicago Daily News, LONDON, Aug. rol for the capture of Poltava, now that mighty Kharkov has been wrested again from its second Nazi occupation. If that happens, its. significance will be as great as the fall of the big Donets basin metropolis, militarily important because it is second only to Moscow among ‘Russia's great railway centers. Poltava is threatened. So are Krasnagrad and Lozovaya, all situated on the most important west-east supply railway of the Urkraine. And the red army, even as Moscow celebrates with artillery salute and fireworks the retaking of Kharkov, is menacing the great industrial city of Stalino, with new attacks north of Taganrog on the Mius river. The red army’s reoccupation of Kharkov is bound to have the most far-reaching consequences upon the German east front situation. The way is open now to reconquest of the Crimea, and it is difficult to overestimate the importance to the allies that the Russians regain control of this area, whose ports and air flelds could playsa vital contributory part in impending operations to drive the enemy from the Balkans, Used Up Reserves Again this summer the Nazis strained every nerve to retain Kharkov, and used up all their available reserves in a hastily conceived and strangely mishandled counterattack. It is worth remembering, . however, that the Russians still’ have not regained the most advanced positions which they succeeded in occupying last February when the world held its breath wondering whether the tired red army, with only the poorest communications behind the front, could pull off the final thrust to Dnieperpetrovsk and Zaporozhe on the Dnieper river, thereby encircling all the German forces in the south Ukraine, and severing the sole line of supply for the Crimea. - Now, reversing all previous beliefs that the red army was not competent to carry out offensive operations this summer, the situation is approaching again that actually realized by the Russians at the end of last winter's offensive. And the German army is evidently less well equipped and with much shorter reserves than it had at that time, although even then they publicly evinced the greatest anxiety about the whole situation. As matters stand today, with Kharkov in Russian hands, it seems inconceivable that the Ger-

regain their position in this region during the present war.

U, S. SEEN GROWING

SEATTLE, Aug. 25 (U. P.) —Allied successes, by narrowing Japan's choice of attack, have increased the likelihood that the American west coast will be raided from the air, James ‘M. Landis, director of the office of civilian defense, advised a Seattle OCD official today. “None of these successes has eliminated the enemy’s free choice of air attack on the United States,”

Landis told Ben B. Ehrlichman, OCD vice chairman, in a letter. “Rather, they have increased the

turning to that means for action,”

{he wrote.

The letter was in reply to an inquiry from Ehrlichman, who asked if, because of the favorable progress of the war, the civilian defense or-

i |ganization here could be reduced. Ro: ian i A pi

BORDEAUX WINE AN APPROPRIATE GIFT

possibility of the enemy’s eventual]

LONDON, Aug. 26 (U. P.).—Before

. SHE Is EARNESTLY TRYING To DO A 6000 JOB

The little gil i in the plchure’ is tired. She has been

selling in our store just a week. Although she earnestly

tried to help you, she made a few errors, but that is our fault for not training her more fully. She has not had the advantage of full training facilities because we had to hurry her along to get her behind the counter more quickly. But she has wonderful possibilities. We have faith in her ability to learn from’ experience. She ‘is young, strong and patriotic. With our help and yours she will develop into a capable, resourceful, dependable young woman. She will appreciate your patience and. encouragement. :

Many of oir older employes have gone ino tHe sind services or war production plants. They were the ones who knew your exact size, your pet colors, your prejudices and preferences. The young woman in the E picture knows nothing about you at all, but we are’ ] confident that she will learn in time. Just now she is overwhelmed by the hundreds of new faces she ‘sees each day. Give her a chance to scquaint he herself with EL

your needs.

Those of our older employes who. remain with us are

working as faithfully as ever under increased difficul-

ties, with increased responsibilities. ‘They have more

fo do and there are less people to help them: do it. We're proud of thera and their efforts. They, too, are

’

tired and nesd your patient co-operation.

Most of oltre love been grand. You realize that we cannot give you our customary service under

wartime conditions. We know that you will be don-

siderate of our people whether they have been with

us a short time. or for ‘many years. They: are all trying so hard: They are fine. and: faithful and doing: their level best under trying. circumstances. Your thought-

fulness and considerate shopping ‘habits will help to

conserve their energies and keep them cheerful on the

job every day. This kind: of encouragement from you

keeps us trying. continually to. serve you more off ciently and we sincergly. thank you one and all, —

FREE

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