WIDE REACTION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20939, 12 November 1942, Page 4

WIDE REACTION

DRIVE IN AFRICA EYES ON ITALY j FATE OF ROMMEL MW NAVAL OUTLOOK (Ey Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Spfecial Correspondent.) A:...'. .. LONDON, Nov.- .10. Interest is now focussing on Italy and what has become of General Hornl’gFs' . Shattered forces. Once the Allied forces dominate Tunisia —which is regarded as a matter of time —Italy from north to south will come within range of Allied bombers. Signs are not lacking that the Italians are apprehensive now that, as Mario Appelius, the Rome radio commentalor points’ out. “it- is raining for Italian fortunes.” 'general -Rommel fs chief ports are And Tripoli, the former of whieli- iftay be .the Eighth Army's objective and the latter that ot the Bmish - AhieViCah forces'. There are naturally hopes that General Rommel can be squeezed between the two, but if ib bdVne' in mind that this ma'v be easier ?aid than done. The key points ate. Tunis, Bizerta, and the narrow* sinfrif between Sicily and Tunis which' jStijviouslj". has been, the greatest danger for convoys voyaging to iitfdlta. -Sardinia and Sicily, on which are based Axis'air-power, remain, at least for the time being, a serious threat, while air clashes over the narrows may be expected. Meanwhile, Herr Hitler, must have plans for bolstering General Rommel. FrVnch Fleet a Query Th4* h'aval iinpi'c&ti'on of the North African' move, regarded as concerning ttfeUfuture more than the immediate brill 1 be of the greatest strategidar importance for further developments against the Axis. The acquisisoti 61 naval arid a'ir' bases is linked uny 'but al- note of caution is’ being sounded that' the restoration of convoy Mites' th’ibugh the Mediterranean m'ay take time,- for freedom for the Aided warships has first to be. establish##,- which implies the destruction of the enemy forces. The French fleet is still a query and it is notable thnt some of the chief resistance to pfeSehfi cqieiafions has come from flu? French' naval people, who have bitter memories of the action taken the' French fleetl.by Britain apef-fK#'capitulation' of France. •’‘ The Manchester Guardian’s political cSffeSjSb'nddhi; expresses the opinion politically, Vichy is now in a staie of confusion. Germany’s predemand is that Vichy should light Britain and America and use .the fleet, in the German service', 169 MaVsHal'Fetain. and M. Laval have firinMe af full fighting ally of GeriffaiftLtS) hiialiitaid tHOif regime... This tbeSf’canttbt do. . Th’e' extent of their autfttffify o'vbr the armed forces has ' y#£ to Be sObh. . .. ; Ghe : dbtdbm# of General’s rout isffforti- any German threat against Turkey has been greatly diminished. AtSof- she is' better able to resist Gejhiihri pressure: • ~ - attention.' is directed to M. SRSLihlr recent- speech. The Times’ MOSCOW correspondent reporting that it- irtvept'-away ail doubts in Russians’ ihlrids 'tMt differences in ideology Britain, America and the Soviet*-were an obstacle to a full lfroliiiisation and employment•« of the AlKOd- tOtal strength, while a reminder tfiftl-fliteb-AUied relations’ were improving instead of growing worse. Although M. Stalin did not mince his wOrds which-; attributed the Germart successes' this' year to the absence of £- second frdrit r .'he gave no sanction f£>:th'e. idea that, ideological differences were causing'the delay.