Evening star., 1940-07-21
Germans Pound Britain by Air;
Raids Fatal to 336 in Month:
Peace Offensive Is Intensified
Appeal to Reason
Is Carried to
English People
BY the Associated Press.

BERLIN. July 20.-Germany un-
leashed thunder Of words today in
an attempt to sway the English
people, over the head of Winston
Churchill, and get them to end
the war. The alternative, Man
Germany says, Is destruction.
/ Radio transmitters dinned Adolf
Hitler's "last appeal to reason" into
English ears until, as authorized
sources put 1t, every Englishman
knows exactly what is in store for
him unless he gets rid of "the
plutocratic ruling clique" which
wants to keep on fighting.
Repeatedly the English were told
that Hitler has no desire to harm
either England or her empire, It
was suggested that only by getting
out from under Mr.. Churchill's
control can England escape the
German onslaught.
There was, moreover. not the
slightest hint either in Hitler's
speech or in the words of radio or
press that Germany is slowing up
one iota in her preparation for this
attack. 1t Is assumed that the
whole military and naval machine is
ready to go at any time at the
Fuehrer's word.
Initiative Now England's.
No further direct proposal to
England may be expected from
Hitler. the authoritative Dienst aus
Deutschland said.
The initiative must now come
from England" said this commen-
tary. Hitler has not set time limit
for the answer from England, but
from that fact it cannot be con-
cluded that England is able to claim
an unlimited period to answer the
peace offer"
The British press view that Hit
ler's Reichstag speech of yesterday
was mot worth answering" was re-
Jected in Berlin as not the true
voice Of the British people.
This is merely the voice of the
plutocratic clique" it was stated
here. What strikes us is the haste
with which these insolent commen-
taries are issued--so quickly as to
give the impression they we're writ
ten In advance
With the German radio broad
casting English translations of the
Hitler speech over and over again.
the high comnlAnd made 1t plain
that there is 4 much grimmer side
to this realization campaign eii-
| rected at England.
Tell Of Widespread Raids.
Today's communique detafle
widespread air raids on shipping,
harbors. power plants. warehouses
and military positions from South
England to Scotland: claimed the
sinking Of 5,000-ton merchant
ship and damage to three other
merchantmen and q destroyer and
reported the sinking of 24,70O tons
OF merchant shipping by a single
U-boat.
1t took cognizance of new Brit
ish air raids which injured sew
eral civilians" in Northern and
Western Germany last night.
Hitler said yesterday he barely
had begun to reply to these raids,
but that when he does, it will mean
suffering for millions.
The high command also gave a
ratio of ~ to 3 for English and
German planes, respectively, lost on
Friday.
The next few days will show.
authorized persons asserted, how
the British reaction to the Hitler
speech, as pounded home by the
radio campaign, is to be evaluated.
When the next step will come and
OF what it will consist, they reiter-
ated, is solely up to Hitler.
Fuehrer Talks With Ciano.
Today the Fuehrer had a con-
terence with Count Galeazzo Ciano.
Mussolini's son-in-law and Italian
foreign minister, who came to Ber-
I'M Tor yesterdays Reichstag ses-
sion.
Count Ciano and his staff left for
home at midnight, the German
wireless said, after ceremonious
AdIcWcuS ITOm German FOREIGN
Minister Joachim Won Ribbentrop
and high Nazi state and party func-
tionaries.
To British radio commentators
remark that Hitler's speech merely
was the opening of a peace offen-
sive which England would spurn,
the newspaper Deutsche Allgemeine
Zeitung replied:
Precisely this assertion of Brit
ish determination to be destroyed
deserves to be criticized in this
hour"
Only the highest of his associates
are likely to know the nature Of the
campaign he would launch against
Britain or how long he would wait.
But Berliners for weeks have OBJ
served that many large boats have
disappeared from lakes In the vicin-
lty of the capital.
From along the French, Belgian
and Netherlands coasts come re-
ports of heightened and broadened
airport runways.