Show I. I By Ray Tucker National N. N I Whirligig Wh Ir and Albert Leman W WASHINGTON The ASHINGTON The Anglo- Anglo American high command has chalked chalk up Hitler's insistence on defending central Italy particularly particularly particularly Ro Rome e as another of ot the fatal strategic blunders of the axis powers Although eventual united nations victory became Inevitable when Uncle Sam entered entered entered en en- the scrap Adolfs Adolf's Teutonic stubbornness in this sector may shorten the conflict Mussolini's erstwhile province lost most of ot its military advantage advantage advantage tage as soon as the allies ames drove the Germans out of North Africa Africa Alrica Af Al- rica seized Sicily Sardinia and Corsica and occupied the major air fields near Foggia In view of the present range of ot our heavy and light bombers Fortresses Liberators Mitchells Mitchells Mitch Mitch- ells cue and Marauders F Foggia gia is q quite te as useful for strafing Bavarian Ba Ba- varian varlan Austrian and eyen even French industries as would be runways north of ot the Et Eternal city The attempt to repel us below below Italy's capital capita l has forced der fuehrer to maintain approximately approximately 25 divisions ns In that coun coun- try Had he accepted his general staff advice and retired to a alIn aline aline lIn line along the Po river he might have hava been able to detach at least 10 servi service e on the western or eastern ern fronts He would have kept in re reserve reserve reserve re- re serve a a. great mass of materiel Now it appears that his de decision ision may cost him many thousands of men as well as s a formidable array o of tanks artillery and small weapons He has also enabled our side to gain a great psychological triumph that has heartened the troops in England awaiting the order for tor the final grand assault assault assault as- as as as- sault on Europe The forces which h smashed the Gustav and nd Hitler lines lines Iines-Amer Amer American ican lean British dominion French and Polish fighters have fighters have demonstrated dem dem- ted to the world that they can whip the nazis' nazis finest warriors warriors warriors' war war- on terr terrain in far more difficult difficult difficult cult than they will find in Denmark Denmark Denmark Den Den- mark the Low Countries and France The intuitive master mind mindIn h In Berlin did not know ow it but General George C. C Marshalls Marshall's greatest worry until now was that the enemy might steal a march by withdrawing his main body from below Rome to the P Po Poor Poor or the Alps Such a Hindenburg retreat would have left the allied forces stranded and stymied in their present area It would have re required required required re- re many valuable weeks to advance soldiers heavy weapons weapons ons OM ships and supplies to the new northern combat zone Hitler's policy polley of course was based on diplomatic rather than strategic considerations He feared the effect on the satellites satellites satellites satel satel- lites and neutrals if Rome the cultural and spiritual center of so many millions of people on both sides sides' of ot the conflict and the the first axis capital to face seizure by the democracies should fall faU to the liberators He sought to frighten his Balkan puppets into continued loyalty By transforming Italy into a hole hell of misery and want he tried to give them a a. sample of ot what their l lands would become if it they deserted him He has missed out on all counts He will win soon suffer both botha a 8 military and diplomatic c catastrophe catas catas- tas- tas tr a phe-a phe a word now banned bannet from nazi and newspapers Battlefield reverses may approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap the magnitude of ot those he sustained before and after stalin Stalingrad grad And the united nations nations nations na na- na- na h have ve scored th their lr most Important important important im Im- im- im statecraft successes in Turkey Spain and Sweden since we established the Italian front last January Regardless of ot the hands- hands the across oratory at recent recent recent re re- re- re cent inter American to get gether conf conferences New York businessmen back from below the Rio Grande disclose that ill will to Uncle Sam is mounting The Untied States faces laces a 8 cocoa shortage occasioned partly by the cupidity of Brazilian growers who are haggling over the price of ot their new crop which moves to market this month They become indignant when told that North American processors processors processors proc proc- cannot meet their figure fig fig- ure lire because of ot current 0 OP P A t p ceilings Mexico Is rife riCe with bad blood over the collapse of the mercury market In an effort to accumulate accumulate late lat this vital war commodity the U. U S. S A A. A at one time paid I a pound But we woke up to discover that more than a ayears ayears years year's supply had been stored and the amount was reduced to Contracts were canceled with United States firms and prices to Mexican mines were lowered Enmity In Bolivia is the re result result re- re sult suit of ot our slashing the price of ot antimony without proper notice Swift cutbacks are familiar Inthis in inthis inthis this country but abruptness is not understood to the south of us Assurance of steady employment employment employment employ employ- ment Is essential in a a. primitive industrial system where sudden cancellations cause hardships |