The Proper Moment

Millions of people in the U.S., in Britain and on the Continent believe that the Allied invasion of Europe is very near. A few sober-heads have reflected that London and Washington might be waging a war of nerves, that censors who pass speculative articles might be less willing to permit predictions if the real thing were about to occur. But the expectancy is genuine. From London, heart of the Allies' main base for operations against the Continent, TIME Correspondent Edward Lockett this week cabled this report on how the world looked from that capital:

An atmosphere of tensity pervades London. The Allied forces are gathering to crush the Axis in Europe, and the Axis knows it. Germany does not know the hour, the date, the place. But while she waits for Armageddon behind her "invulnerable" ground defenses, invasion is already coming through the sky--from Africa in the south, from Russia in the east, from Britain in the west.

Axis citizens who could peer through the propaganda learned other things that made the week a bleak one for the Axis :

> To Algiers a twin-engined Lockheed Hudson named "Paris" brought tall, haughty General de Gaulle for conference with General Giraud, who announced: "We start work today. It is time not for speeches but for action, for France is awaiting us." The escape of General Alphonse Joseph Georges to North Africa recalls the report that Giraud told De Gaulle some time ago that he would get a five-star general out of France at the proper moment.

> Five U-boats are known to have been sunk within ten days.

> From Vichy came the announcement that the French naval units of Vice Admiral Godfroy, immobilized since 1940, have gone over to the Allies, adding a battleship, four cruisers, three destroyers and one submarine to the Allied fleets.

> Madrid and the Axis reported that Churchill conferred in Gibraltar with Eisenhower, Alexander, Montgomery, Catroux and Giraud. Later the same sources said Churchill had gone to Algiers.

> Reports from inside Europe via Stockholm disclosed that Italians believe invasion will come first to Pantelleria. German Columnist Hans Reischach is quoted by Reuters as saying: "Italy's situation is difficult. Her empire is lost, and a numerically and materially strong enemy now stands on the Mediterranean south coast." Further reports indicate that the Italian supply system has badly cracked under the impact of bombing from the south.

All this is far from meaning that the Axis is ready to fold, but is impressive evidence of the state of mind on the Continent this week.

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