Evening star., 1941-07-07
On the Record
Hitler Doesn't Wage War for IdeoIogy;
He Wages IdeoIogy for War

WlilCtl CilcS llfc iOi pullulilk up
their own lives. Were the Rus
sian government three times as
bad as it is, Hitler would not be
justified in conquering Russia.
Were the German government
even worse than it Is, nobody
would be justified in attacking
Germany and trying to enslave
her people. Nobody did attack
Germany. Germany attacked
others. This war is to stop her
from doing so.
That's the issue. And there is
nothing confusing about it. It
is not confusing that Hitler
should attack rich, middle class
democracies like Holland, or
poor authoritarian states like
Greece, or weak constitutional
monarchies like Yugoslavia, or
powerful empires like France and
Britain, or the Soviet Union.
Wages theology for War.
Hitler is not waging a war for
theology. He is waging an theology
for a war. He does not let his
theology determine his policy.
His policy determines his ideol-
ogy. He is neither crusading
against money nor against
bolshevism. He is crusading for
money. resources and power and
against everybody. He doesn't
pick his victims because of their
ideas, but because of their
strategical positions and their
resources.
The world, as Mr.. Lindbergh
ought to know. is round. If
Hitler moves far enough East
he ends up on the frontier of
Alaska where Russia now is. and
if he moves far enough West.
he ends up in the Portuguese
islands, which are the nearest
points in the Atlantic to South
America.
Since Russia stands in the way
of one course, and Britain in the
way of the other, we are pro-
Russian and pro-British in this
struggle because we simply do
not wish to see Nazi Germany
dominate the world. Also. we
would not like to see Britain or
Russia dominate the world, Mr..
Lindbergh, but we do not happen
to think that either eventuality
is likely.
A German Invention.
AS for the theology of COM
munism that you so suddenly
detest, it is German invention,
Mr.. Lindbergh. Both of these
totalitarian conceptions origi-
mated in German philosophy,
and they are much more alike
than they are different. Also.
the Bolshevik revolution in Rus
sia was aided and abetted by the
German general staff, for the
same reason that Hitler has
aided and abetted revolutions in
the democracies: namely, to
weaken the victim. Lenin and
D Bolsheviks were sent in
sealed car through Germany TO
Russia for the purpose of getting
Russia out of the last war. and
some of the same staff officers
who helped them get there are
now engaged in fighting Russia
to overthrow the regime they
started
Nothing is at all complicated,
Mr.. Lindbergh, except if you arr
trying to keep up with DR.. Goeb-
bels. Then you are likely to
meet yourself in the doorway
coming out.
But on our side, there is moth
ing confusing at all. We are
against one man and one nation
dominating the world, and We
think that if he dominates El,-
rope, Asia and Africa, the United
States will be on the spot. We,
whom you call intervention
lists" are strongly in favor of
blocking him before he gets to
the Portuguese islands and be-
fore he gets to the gates of
Alaska.
We think that If he gets to
the Portuguese islands and to
the gates Of Alaska the treaty
you recommend will have the
value that all treaties have when
negotiated at the point Of a gun,
plus the value that any treaty
has when negotiated with Hit
Ter.