Evening star., 1940-12-11
The Hard Realities

There is food for some realistic
American thinking in Adolf Hitler's
latest public address, which gives us
a glimpse of where the Fuehrer is
going and how he expects to get
there. 1t is significant that he is not
seeking an easy path, not troubled by
a confusion of objectives. 1.-TWO
worlds, two philosophers of life," Hit
Ter told his listeners, "are in con-
flict. One of the two worlds must
break asunder."
Possibly we can discount the Ger
man Chancellors expansive gesture
when he promises to conquer every
body. Perhaps a certain concern
for German morale, after the recent
promises of quick victory, prompted
his warning against anticipation of
an early peace, but we can i'll afford
to miss the larger significance of his
remarks.
This significance lies in the OBJ
vious fact that Hitler, whatever else
we may think of him, knows what he
wants and is bending every instru-
ment at his command toward the at
tainment of his goal of world domi-
nation. Hitler is not indulging in
empty rhetoric when he says Of Ger
many: Our capacity for work is our
gold, our capital, and with 1t we will
defeat the entire world" This claimed
capacity of the Nazis for work is
fact, hard fact, that we little under
stand And it is this ruthless single
ness of purpose, this ability to COM
mand vast personal sacrifices from
his people, that is the secret Of
Hitler's military successes, the real
source of his strength.
The essential proposition may be
stated in this fashion: The Nazis,
however misguided, are striving to
achieve a tangible, specific objective,
and they have conditioned them
selves to make the necessary sacri-
fees. That combination at least has
the virtue of effectiveness. In con-
trast many Americans still are trying
to live in past that is in ruins.
Others, perhaps the majority, are
marking time, confused and working
at cross purposes while our destiny
hangs in the balance.
What Interpretation is to be placed
on the recent statement by Secretary
of Labor Perkins that there is no
need to undermine wage and hour
legislation, to lengthen the forty
hour week, as our defense needs
shape up at this time?" Does that
mean that our present defense needs,
when we are virtually unarmed, are
less acute than they will be at some
time in the future? Does Miss Per-
kins subscribe to the fantastic be-
lief that we should wait until the
British have fallen before exerting a
maximum effort to arm ourselves
and to aid them? If so, the Secretary
of Labor is inviting us to live in a
fanciful paradise already overcrowd-
ed with the wrecks of other nations
whose leaders also thought that they
could postpone their need for total
defense
Miss Perkins and those who agree
with her utterly fail to comprehend
the vital Importance of the time ele-
ment in modern warfare. They have
not yet understood the reason why
half the nations of Europe lie pros
trate at the feet of the Nazi con-
queror-tragic victims of the delusion
that Hitler would not strike until
they, in their leisurely fashion, could
get ready for him. If we repeat that
blunder, If we permit an unseason-
able devotion to social laws or any
other consideration, to minimize our
own rearmament effort or the aid
that we might otherwise give to
Britain in the next few months, we
will be guilty of crime against our
selves and against that philosophy of
life which Hitler is determined to
destroy.
The history Of the past few years
demonstrates that in some things it
pays to accept Hitler's word at its
face value BY now we ought to be-
lieve him when he says that, having
chosen a course, he is filled with
"boundless fanaticism" in pursuing it.
And we ought to believe him when he
says that the German people, de-
spite their sacrifices, will give him
full support in continuing the war
Wishful thinking, half-hearted
measures and confusion of purpose
have not stopped Hitler in the past,
nor will they stop him in the future.
We have little time left in which to
accept that hard reality and act &C
cordingly.