Imperial Valley press., 1940-07-25
NOT ARMS ALONE
-Chrisfim Scienre NOnitOrl

They don't call II a "Sitzkrieg" any
more. Since the collapse of France it has
become the fashion To say that the Blitz-
kriep works and that the power of the
German army has been proved.
This is precisely what the NaZiS want
the world IL believe The technique of
the dictator Is IL manufacture an aura
Of nlincibilitN.
Nazi troops occupy one-siXth Of con-
tinental Europe ItisNital not To under
estimate the military force which haS
made possible this aggression. But II is
also vital 10 perceive that the German
conqueStS are not to be explained III
quite the way that the -Nazls would like
to explain them.
For the stark fact is that lIitlerism
has SO far matched itself only against
opponents obviously physically inferior
or noW disclosed TO have been upon the
point of moral collapse. As Prime Minis
ter Churchill reminded the world i'll his
weekend radiocast. Hitler has hot yet
been withstood b., Il great nation with
Il will power the equal Of his Own.
Austria fell by intrigue.
Norway Succumbed 10 treachelY, rs
Well as arms.
And the resistance of the Low Coun-
tlies-both in strategy and preparedness
- provided no test against the sheer
weight of the Nazi PanZer divisions.
But France
The story now emerging is one Of IN
eptness and inefficiencN. and Of actual
degeneration From it Il fact OF major
Importance emergeS. II holds an anti
dote to the fear that there is no defense
against the sort of machine that the
Nazis have been able to erect. 1t Is the
simple truth that the Germans have Hot
,et faced an adversary on equal terms.
1t is from within, more than from Il mill
tarx Blitzkrieg, that opponents Of The
Third Reich have collapsed.
For the failure to blow up the bridges
Of the Meuse which permitted the Ger
man tanks to thunder through the de
Tending lines the failure of Gamelin. the
lack Of equipment. the inability 10 learn
the military lessons which the Polish
campaign laid bare. sabotage Of communi-
cations, German officers in French uni
forms at Sedan-these things We're not
part of France which could give ade
quate resistance to the German drive
NoWhere-With the exception of the
strategically isolated actions in Nalyik,
the evacuation of Flanders and the early
operations in Poland have the Ger
mans encountered anything approaching
the moral courage which alone can pro
vide the human capacity needed IL cast
down the Teutonic Goliath.
1t is the existence of this courage in
Britain which is the present hope Of those
nations that are still free. For is Nazi-
ism now turns its full attention toward
England it will encounter something new
in its march of aggression. It is not only
that England has come to realize the
seriousness of the challenge 1t is not
only that England is arming with Il
speed that could not have been anticipat
ed few months ago Even with these
preparations the world knows that Brit
ain faces the most serious battle in its
history.
The military marvel that is being ask
ed Of Britain can hardly be exaggerated.
This the Germans know. But there is one
other factor in the equation which the
German high command has yet TO meas
ure 1t is the moral fiber Of the British
people
Germany pretends-and pretense is the
Word-that its arms and its machines
are the only measure Of strength. But
for those with eyes TO see. this war Is
proving that strength. in the final anal
ysis, is matter Of the spirit. This will
be the great. and successful, issue in the
Battle for Britain.