Evening star., 1939-10-01
Hitler Watches u. S. Congress
For Cue in Strategy Decision
Protracted Discussion of Embargo Repeal Seen as
Possibly Prompting Swift, Powerful
Blow at Allies
By Constantine Brown.

gwen tnelr cOnQuerOrS mucn cause Tor
worry. The same can be said about the
Czecho-Slovaks. Any indication that the
German armies are not invincible may
result in serious uprisings in the sections
of the Reich which have been annexed
by force in the course Of the last IL
months.
For this reason it is believed that the
German general staff will prefer to sit
tight behind the Siegfried lines; Hitler
will reiterate that he is not fighting
France and Great Britain but merely
waging q defensive war behind an i'm
pregnable wall Of steel and concrete
Germany then will busy herself with the
pacification and economic development of
the lands she has acquired by force.
The German general stan seems to
think THAT the nerves of the French will
not last long under the pressure of a
war Of attrition. There is no army In
the world for which the Germans have a
higher respect. But they believe that
the French have frail nerves and that
inaction will create dissentions in the
ranks Of the people of France, reaction
which might end with peace proposal
recognizing Germans conquests in the
East.
The Germans are convinced that the
present French government will not lend
itself to any such arrangement; that
Daladier and his friends are determined
to see this war through at any price.
But Daladier is only a premier who can
be booted out of Office if the people feel
that he is following policy contrary to
their interests.
"Caffard" of Last War Recalled.
The Germans seem to bank a good
deal on the French nerves; the word
"caffard" (war spleen) was used a good
deal IN the last war in the French
trenches during the long period of bonn
can die heroically, say the Germans,
but they cannot stand the gaff of just
sitting behind Notifications and doing
nothing while their country is being
strafed by airplanes.
The Germans are fighting alone.
to what the general staff is doing until
things get economically as bad as they
were in 1918. The French have a power
full ally-the British-and there might
be discomfort among those who have no
patience with the slowness of the British
in getting into action. The French
higher ups realize that there is method
in the slowness of the British action. But
those who have people killed by the
thousand at the front don't quite UNDER
stand why the majority of the casualties
should be French. "Sit tight and let
the nerves to their work" might be one
of the important thoughts of German
war strategy in the west.
2. There is, however, a possibility of
Germany attempting to strike quickly
and ruthlessly on the western front.
Observers who believe in this possi-
bility, link it with whether or not the
United States Congress will repeal the
arms embargo. The Germans know the
weak point of the allies-their lack Of
sufficient ammunition and arms to with
stand for long time a German on.
slaught
Boast of Mysterious Inventions.
The world. so the Germans say, has
not yet seen the power Of the German
military machinery; it does not even
suspect the new inventions which the
German army is prepared to use to put
an end to the resistance of the British
and French armies The curtain artil-
lery fire which had such a terrifying eff
feet in the last war and required reck-
less expenditure of ammunition will be
now like child's play to what the Ger
mans can do with their new artillery.
The allies have enough ammunition to
carry on war for about year, on the
estimate of last wars expenditure. If
their factories are harmed by the Ger
man aviation, their supplies will last a
little less than year. Unless they can
purchase freely finished war materials,
their power of resistance will be tremen-
dously reduced.
Germany is watching the debates in
Washington with the same eagerness
the allies are watching them. If 1t ap-
pears that the discussions are going to
be protracted and last for many weeks,
1t is probable that they will decide to
60 ahead and try to shorten the war in a
desperate effort. There are two points
through which they can penetrate into
France-Holland and Belgium. The old
slogan that necessity knows no law might
be applied again and an invasion OF Bel.
gium and Holland by powerful German
army might take place in the course of
the next few weeks. This would turn
the French flank and force the allies to
rush forces to meet the menace from
those quarters, thus weakening the Mag
mot front.
Italy Then Might Act.
1t is also possible That under these
conditions, Italy might decide to throw
her lot with the Reich and attack France
through the Alps. 1t is doubtful whether
the allies have enough forces at the
present time to face attacks through
the Netherlands and Belgium and
through the Alps while keeping the
Maginot Line fully manned. Six months
from now. when the British contingents
are fully prepared, such an action would
not unduly worry the allied high COM
mand, but at the present time 1t is one
of the chief concerns of Gen. Gamelin
and his associates.
Hitler believes that in the present state
Of preparedness Of the French and the
British, the sacrifice of several thousand
planes and about million men could
bring the British and the French tn