Evening star., 1940-10-05
Brenner Puss Again

premier ross H9OIn
Experience has shown that when
totalitarian dictators get their heads
together in secret parley, it bodies
no good for the world. The first
meeting of Hitler and Mussolini at
historic Brenner Pass last March
preceded by only a few weeks the
Nazi invasion of Norway, which
marked the end of the initial sit
down" phase of the European war
and the launching of the ruthless
blitzkrieg strategy which was to en-
gulf neutral after neutral and to end
in the fall of France. A correlated
and climactic objective of the blitz-
krieg phase was to have been the
invasion and conquest of the British
Isles, all of which was to have been
accomplished by not later than
September IS last. But in fixing
its schedule Of total warfare, the
Berlin Rome axis underestimated
Britain. England, it has learned
with dismay, is not unprepared Nor
way, nor vulnerable Holland, nor
weak Belgium, nor divided France.
England is stubborn, unyielding, de-
fiant-and uninvaded. More than
that, England Is carrying the war
audaciously across the Channel and
into Hitler's own territory, even to
Berlin itself.
That has created for the Fuehrer
a problem-several problems, in fact
| and there are increasing signs
that Hitler and his high command
are worried. Winter is approaching,
which means weather and tide COM
plications in the English Channel
sector, and food and shelter compli-
cations on Germany's domestic front.
The longer Britain remains unde-
feated, the more aid she will receive
from the United States and the more
complete will be her capacity to re-
siSt and to retaliate. Hitler fears
the consequences of a stalemate on
the Channel, for he knows that his
prestige with his subjects and with
his allies depends on his ability to
keep his armies on the march.
1t was against such background
of troublesome developments that
Der Fuehrer and II Duce held their
hastily arranged conference yester-
day in a railway car at Brennero, in
the Alps. Even the official Nazi
spokesman admitted that problems
existed. The communique issued
after the three-hour meeting said
that call problems confronting the
two countries" were discussed. De-
tails were not given, but the nature
of the problems which confront Ger
many and Italy at this time are
fairly obvious to every one. Aside
from the problem of what to do
about the invasion of England, there
are such problems as how to keep
America from extending further help
to the British, what role Russia will
play in the war, now that Toxic has
joined the Berlin-R axis; wheth-
er Spain can be counted on to CO.
operate in an attack on Gibraltar.
The fact that Colonel General Will
helm Won Keitel, chief of the Ger
man high command, was a party to
the conversation would seem to in
dicate that military as we'll as politi-
cal questions were under discussion.
Since MuSSOlini Is more concerned
with military problems of Mare
Nostrum than of the English Chan
mel, it is logical to suspect that some
major military operation in the
Mediterranean area is in the offing
Baked in his original plan of deal
ing a quick death blow to the heart
of England, Hitler might naturally
try to subjugate the British Empire
piecemeal, starting with a joint
NaziFascist drive from one end of
| the Mediterranean Sea to the other
and thence eastward and southwark.
Gibraltar and Suez would be prime
objectives of such a campaign. The
fate of the Balkans, of Africa, of
India and of Australia would be at
stake-and so would the fate of
Singapore, of the Netherlands East
Indies and of English and American
interests in the Far East. That two
men should presume to apportion
among themselves and their partners
as possible spoils of war so large
section of the earth's surface is typi-
cal of the sinister spirit of interna-
tional gangsterism on the rampage
in the world today. 1t is this spirit
which Britain has challenged so val
iantly and so successfully to date and
which America must face resolutely
from now on If democracy is to sur
vivs On this or any other continent.