Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-21
Nv COL. WILLIAM J. DONOVAN

The masterpiece OF the fifth
column" was unquestionably the
French debacle. Here everything
that Hitler had promised came tc
pass with almost mathematical pre-.
cision.
He did not strike until he was ir
touch with certain important
Frenchmen who were ready to trea,
with him. He needed but one swift
blow. He terrified the soldiers by
his noise-making engines, he de.
moralized the officers by the sur
prise and power of his attacks. he
bewildered the generals by the dar.
ing of his strategic conceptions. he
troubled the entire population by
his radio propaganda that insisted
that France was being betrayed by
Britain and by the French war
mongers." He spread horrible ru-
mors through villages, issued fear
some reports by wireless. and then
when the populations had congest-
ed the roads in their flight, ma
chine-gunned them to heighten
their panic.
Meanwhile his agents within
France, presumably by clandestine
wireless senders, kept him In
formed Of what was going on, and
he could thus choose the precise
moment for Italy's entrance into the
war when French disarray was at its
climax. AS a result France was not
only beaten far more thoroughly
and far more easily than Poland
but, unlike Poland, France cracked
morally as we'll, and new set OF
leaders sought to purchase the Ger
mans mercy, If not his respect, by
submission to Frances conquerors
France Rotten Internally.
Admittedly, this could not have
been accomplished save during a
low ebb in French history. The
French masses were increasingly
materialistic. Capital and labor
were at loggerheads. the former re-
membering the experiments OF the
Popular Front government OF 1867
the latter resentful Of the attempt
ed Fascist coup d'etat in 1884 and
the unpublished "Cagoulard" Fas-
cist conspiracy later. Moreover, the
peculiar French form OF parlla-
mentary government was creaklng
and the bulk Of the people had
lost nearly all faith in their lead
ers. This enabled Hitler (and Mus
solini as welD to keep up propa-
eanda pressure. often through the
Communists, and prevent the output
in the armament industries from
ever reaching a satisfactory level
The crucial test justified al
Hitler's efforts; When the French
soldiers had a chance Of fighting
on equal terms, they fought fairly
well; when nothing but heroism
could have made up for superior
German equipment. the French in
fantry, repeatedly deserted by their
officers, melted away.
What happened to the French
officers? Simply this: For the most
part they had ceased to believe IN
freedom, democracy or any OF the
slogans which alone could galvanize
the entire country.
While not exactly pro-Fascist (and
certainly not pro-German). they
were hostile to the Third Republic (;
many had come to believe that an
authoritarian regime like that OF
Italy and Germany was really pref
cradle. 1t would. they thought, save
the position of the privileged classes;
and really save France from the
disagreeable necessity Of defending
itself. If there was to be a war,
then let it be against the Bolsheviks.
In other words, at least half and
perhaps the majority Of influential
French citizens had come to believe
what Hitler wanted them to believe.
Beautiful Women Helped.
How had Hitler accomplished
this? BY patient activity. For years