Show War Underground May Provide Today y Allied Key to Invasion Success By DeWItt De Mackenzie Associated Press Var War Analyst Field Marshal Karl von Runstedt Runstedt Run Run- commander of German forces in western Europe and one of ot the outstanding soldiers of oC our time manages to convey the Impression Impression Im Sm- Im- Im of ot a great faith in Germanys Germany's Germanys Germany's Ger Get many's destiny In hi his quiet statement statement statement state state- ment that he Is prepared for tor the coming allied invasion and awaits It calmly There was no shouting as the marshal told simply sim- sim ply ly how the nazi de de- tenses include scale large-scale ground mining arrangements for floodIng flooding flood- flood Ing ng big areas arens and antitank ob- ob and walls far more diversified diver- diver ie than in the Ma Maginot line ine nc l erman reserves ne be saRi saiu are arc areo areso so o grouped that they can launch quick counterattacks Maybe Von Runstedt Is bluffing when he says there will be no withdrawal in my field of opera- opera lions ions However I see ace no reason to o doubt hi his sincerity He hasn't named amed any defensive mea measures ures which are arc at all aU unlikely for even the wide-spread wide flooding was used extensively in western Europe in inthe inthe the he last war Means Business The marshal means business We should hould be asking for trouble if we didn't recognize this and realize that hat the invasion easily may produce produce produce pro pro- duce a conflict which will far exceed exceed ex ex- in violence anything this this' or any other war var has seen However Von Runstedt seems to o have stretched a vital point when he said that Hitler's Hitler Atlantic Atlan- Atlan tic ic wall cant can't be outflanked by In in- Its It's outflanked already before already before the he invasion has started Its It's outflanked outflanked out- out flanked lank ed by the vast underground army of ot Fren Frenchmen and other nationalities na- na of the zone who are all aU set and waiting for forthe forthe the he invasion day That's the allied secret we weapon pon pon p- p on and it may prove to be the most destructive in our armory The units of or this army will be everywhere behind behind the Germans in n their midst on t their flanks In France alone the underground army runs Into many millions who are arc organized and are kept in n touch with the Fighting French leaders in Algiers by liaison men These hese brave folk carry carryon on ordinary ordinary ordinary nary occupations in the daytime and perform their patriotic tasks under cloak of night They plan and train for the future they carry carry carry car car- ry out sabotage against the en en- emy Its It's dangerous work work work-a a fact tact which firing tirIng squads proclaim proclaim pro pro- claim grimly each dawn Another Big DIg Force Forc Then theres there's another force torce In France better organized and more formidable than anything of ot the sort the nazis have encountered This Is 18 separate from the civilian I underground army and Is composed composed com corn posed of ot former officers t tand and men of the disbanded French army army army- once one of the worlds world's most powerful powerful pow pow- erful fighting Lighting machines These trained soldiers dont don't engage engage engage en en- gage In the ordinary sabotage butare butare but butare are being kept under cover for tor the invasion day One of their big jobs will be to seize and hold strategic points for tor the invading forces forces- an invaluable service which may turn the scales No reproach attaches to the United States Fifth army for the distressing necessity of ot bombing and shelling the Germans out of the ancient Benedictine monastery atop Mount Cassino The Hitler Hitler- ites were holding up the allied offensive offensive offensive of of- and were taking American Ameri Amen can lives by utilizing the building for military purposes We Ve held our fire ire as long as possible and then had no alternative but to shoot That's an old Prussian tri trick k Europe is strewn with churches and cathedrals which through two two wars the Germans either wantonly wanton wanton- ly destroyed or brought to ruin by utilizing them as military posts In view of this one wonders what may happen to the priceless relics of Rome If we lay siege to the capital Certainly If its suits sulUs Hitler's evil purposes this anti Christ anti wont won't hesitate to use churches as shelter shelter shelter shel shel- ter for or his troops That would present the allies with a tough I problem |