Evening star., 1939-05-31
Takes Exception to
Granger on Hitler.
To the Editor OF The Star:

To the Editor OF The Star:
What manner of man is Adolf Hit
ler?" asks Mr. j. Dennis Granger. who
straightway proceeds to wash his hands
of the facts and begins the fulsome adu-
lation which appears to be his sole pur-
pose in asking the question We who
have not the same constraints may con-
slider the matter little more closely.
Hitler is the head of a reactionary move
ment which first destroyed the liberal
republic of Weimar, and now is driven
by economic forces to disrupt the peace
OF Europe. We are not too close to see
the ruin this group has wrought in Cen
trail Europe. The closer one gets to a
homicide the more horrible it looks, and
Hitler, as he promised, has much blood on
his hands.
All sources admit the desperate finan-
cial situation of Germany in the inter-
national field. However, to argue that
the Nazi movement has improved Ger
many's internal economy would be mere
ly an amusing bit of propaganda if it
were not so tragic for Germany's mil
lions. While the standard of living has
indeed improved for those few who were
on starvation level six years ago, it
has gone down badly for the bulk of the
people. There is extreme underground
discomfort among the skilled workers
whose unions were destroyed, their union
funds confiscated. Housing is decidedly
not satisfactory; some projects have
been started, but they are insignificant
compared to the tremendous need for
homes Food is both poor in quality and
scarce. Export trade is dangerously low.
The people live in constant terror of war.
without reserves and without hope of
benefit. But worst of all is the lack of
personal security. One hears so much
about the prosecuted Jews and Catholics
that one tends. to overlook the deadening
effect of the dictatorship on the other
Germans
This is the natural result of an eco
nomlc policy that expends most of the
nations energy on armament production.
1t robs the nation of food and other con-
sumption goods at the same time that it
reduces unemployment So many men
are now busy in unproductive labor such
as the enlarged army and navy, secret
police, prison and concentration camps,
and propaganda service, that the burden
on the productivity of those doing real
work is tremendous. There is actually a
labor shortage. The men in the Reich's
labor battalions are not counted as un-
employed. BY these standards the
United States would have very little un-
employment indeed. In short, GERMANY
now has vast amount of disguised un-
employment, made possible only by the
liberal use of brutal repression. Can
such conditions breed anything but hate
for the regime? Considerable Nazi funds
are spent to inform the world of this
internal stability" but it is largely
money wasted.
Given this condition, what is the best
thing to do about it? All true friends of
the German people will wish to see them
work out their salvation in peaceable
way. AS Mr.. Granger unconsciously
proves, however, this is most unlikely to
happen. The simple obstacle to peace
full solution is that Germany cannot
force her manufactured goods on other
manufacturing countries. With the best
will in the world, there is little we can
take. We are in the main, trying to sell
the same things. And Germany is most
ly prepared to export bombs, shells and
terror. Germany would be in q terrible
economic Jam even II the whole world