1940-05-03 — Page 16

Friday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

May 3, 1940.

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The

W

ITH Sicily at its toe, the long Italian peninsula divides the Mediterranean into a western and eastern basin, joined by a comparatively narrow channel between

Amid the din of totalitarian Sicily and Africa, in the boastings and the welter or middle of which stands the diplomatic offensives, the signi-fortified Italian island of ficance of the trade agreement | Pentellaria. between Britain And Spain All the French naval bases lie should not be lost sight of.

in the western basin, Toulon be- For many months Spain in ing the main fleet base. The her domestic travail occupied British Mediterranean Fleet has two fortified bases, one at Gibral- the centre of the European tar and the other at Malta. picture.

In a war in which Italy and Many believed that she would Britain were involved

on op- -be-one-of-the-main-battlefields posite sides,-Gibraltar--would-be-

of In

usable by the fleet unless, course, Spain also joined in. that event, the naval harbour is easily commanded by long range guns from the Spanish side of

of the next Great War.

She has been spared that fate, and is quietly getting on with the tasks of reconstruction, anxious only to cultivate the the bay, and air attack from ad-,

arts of peace.

joining Spanish territory would The main purpose of the be casy. agreement with Britain is to re-

As a defensive

PORTUGAL

BOAT

BOAT

BOAT

-Strube in the "Daily Express"

Mediterranean

Situation

The British Government has ordered shipping normally using the Mediterranean route to divert to the Cape. This article explains, very simply, just what are the present problems and anxieties of the Admiralty in the inland sea.

SPAIN

ALGERIA

(Fr.).

300

Miles

Rome

Commander

by Russell Grenfell

formerly on the stag of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and an acknowledged authority on naval strategy.

SARDINIA

Conru

(Greeti

UNISIA

ITALIAN

LIBYA

Opinions differ as to whether it secure.

EX

Alexandria Sure

EGYPT

This need not mean that the just as close to the Turkish steam and motor torpedo-boats, in combination, the prospects are very," establish the trade relations that fortress would be lost. On the mainland as Malta is to the all of which smell classes of ship the satisfactory; always provided that the obtained before the civil war. contrary, there is every reason to Italian, and would presumably, Italians possess a large superiority, British Fleet base is reasonably, This is assuredly as much in think that it would be a very therefore, be just as subject to would be possible to force a passage In the larger classes of warship, air attack, should Turkey happen for merchant shipping in the face of and taking the British Mediterrancan Spain's interest as in Britain's; hard nut to crack.

at its present strength, the The only land approach is over to be on the wrong side, as she such opposition, but there is no doubt Fleet for a long time we have been

that to do so would occupy the whole French and British have six battle- a narrow and perfectly flat sandy probably would. one of her best customers. Full neck, entirely overlooked by ob-

attention, of the British Fleet and ships to the Italians two, two air- seriously hamper its offensive opera- craft carriers to the Italians' none, ten details of the treaty are not yet servers on the Rock.

tions.

heavy and nine lighter cruisers to the In the event of a Mediterranean available, but it is expected that

defensive the main British war,

In view of the extremely promising Italians' seven and 10, and 84 dew. they will reveal substantial ad-

commitment would be the mainten- results to be expected of offensive stroyers to the Italians 69, about 30 vantages also to this country.

position, ance of the shipping route through nction, it is, therefore highly destr of the French destroyers being pare. In the face of this combination). General Franco has not shown Gibraltar is exceedingly strong, that sea. If both Italy and Spain able that the Fleet should be freed ticularly large and powerful ships.

were against us, those routes would of the embarrassment of the Medi-

Italy is vulnerable' indeed. Of her a disposition to complicate com-zines and shelters cut deep into two places.

and the galleries, tunnels, maga- be chiefly Ulable to interruption at terranean traffle.

Fortunately, this traffic is not as total Imports, 85 per cent, are sca- mercial questions with inter- the rock give it many points of

One would be at Gibraltar. Al- heavy as many people think. British borne, and about 70 per cent. come national politics;

resemblance to the alcazar at though it has often been spoken of supplies coming through the Suez through either the Suez Canal or the with particular concern, this western Canal average only about 12 per cent. Straits of Gibraltar. Almost certain-- In any case, it is probable that Toledo, which Spaniards should menace is not the most serious one of the total, and for them there is ly the whole of this 65 per cent, could. be cut off, and with them would go. the course of events in the last be the first to appreciate.

Guna overlooking the Straits of the alternative Cape route.

the Italian communications with. Malta is not very differently Gibraltar could not effectively prevent

with countries Inside the eight months has brought him placed to Gibraltar. True, it is the passage of merchant ships, still Mediterranean comes to another 10 Abyssinia and probably with Libya.

Italy, has a particularly long coast nearer to the democracies' point an island, but it is only 40 odd less of warshipa.

per cent. or thereabouts. But the miles from Sicily and is there- The narrow part of the Straits is so main thing is that there are no Bri- line with many important towns on Should it unfortunate. short, and the consta open out so tish supplies passing Gibraltar that the sea shore. Hitler's pact with Bolshevism

causes a deterioration in warlike con- to an extent that would probably slow ship could pass the dangerous elsewhere. was a severe shock to Madrid—prohibit its use as a naval base, area during the dark hours,

As regards France, the threat to her ventions, these coast towns would.

as to Rome.

That, at all events, was the A more serious danger would be an sea routes with North Africa from a fall an easy prey to warships' guns.

attack from the southern Sponfali hostile occupation of the Balearic If Spain is more self-supporting opinion silently expressed by the conat to the castward of the Straits. Islands is hardly as bad un is fre- than Italy, she too, Is peculiarly ex- Mediterranean Flect on the occa- This, however, would lack the co- quently urged,

posed to maritime pressure. With a slong of the crises of 1936 and ordination with other forms of attack Those routes can be reached well superior Uritish fleet on her Atlantic 1999, when it cunted Malta which, as we shall see, is to be ex- enough from Italian naval bases in consts, a superior French fleet on her Italy and Sardinia, and the fact that Mediterranean and with France. It- The other and more serious danger some of the ships might use the self making the only other frontier,. and went to Alexandrin. But pected farther east. evacuation does not necessarily point is the channel between Sicily Balearic Islands ought not to make her trade would be cut off as clean

An Italian land- and Africa. In that aren, ships very much difference. imply capture.

would be exposed to concentrated ing would be a difficult and attack by Itailan aircraft rendered all hazardous operation.

Ale attack from the islands would What could she gain? Possibly The Italian bases are natural the predominance of the German Air also serve to intensity on existing Gibraltar. But while Spanish guns..

Force in Europe would presumably ly mostly in Italy, Sicily and bestow on the tailnas a

danger, rather than create a new one, were pounding at the Rock, French Sprouts, 6,000lb. Sardinia, but Italy has a small superiority over the French in South Bolcarie Islands are within comfort- covering the advance of the French

bo. Nor should we forget that the guns across the Straits would Chickens, 150lb, Potatoes, 20 tone. base at Tobruk in Libya and a Mediterranten waters,

For dessert these items will be "secret". Island base at Leros in

able bombing range of both France North Africa army into Spanish- and North Afrien, and might there- Morocco., needed: nuts, 27,000lb, apples, 89, the Dodecaneso (north-west of

fore be made nearly as unhealthy, as Italian participation in tho

the wor 0001b; dates, 1,500 boxes; oranges, Rhodes), where no foreignor is Moreover, this air attack could be Malta.

seems to offer very lile advantage When we turn to consider the offen- to Haly, though it might be or ad.... accompanied by the operations of allowed to land. This base is large numbers of submarines and of sive possibilities of the Anglo-French vantage to Germany.

of view than to that of Germanyfore exposed to air attack in war steeply each side of it, that even a cannot be obtaisied, if necessary, from ly happen that air bombing of cities.

TROOPS, STUFF FOR USE OF THE Expeditionary Force Institutes have received these orders from units

in France for the troops fare:- Turkeys, 60,000lb. | Pork, 50,00016.

Grecae, 1,0001b.

100,000; bananos, 20,000.

the more formidable by the fact that

local

as a whistle.