Evening star., 1941-11-10
HitIer's CounterbIust

This has been fortnight of inter-
national oratory. Within that rela-
lively brief period, practically all
the big guns in the forensic batteries
on both sides of the world war have
spouted verbal shot and shell. PreSi-
dent Roosevelt, Joseph Stain and
Winston Churchill have struck ora
torical blows at the Axis. Now
Hitler has replied in kind. Appear
ing unheralded in the famous
Munich beer hall from which he and
his earliest Nazi comrades sailed
forth on their Inflated putsch just
eighteen years ago, the Fuehrer of
the Third Reich bade defiance to his
opponents, boaSted Of Germany's
armed might, and promised Ultimate
victory.
That, of course, was to have been
expected. The real interest in Hit
ler's address lies in its general tone
and in its specific statements.
Judging by his rather peevish mood,
those verbal broadsides by his an
tagonists had got under his skin.
President Roosevelt came in for
lot of hard words. The Presidents
charges regarding Nazi designs on
South America and against organ
tied religion were fatty denied. AS
to the battle of the Atlantic, Hitler
repeated his former threats that
ships sailing for Britain would be
torpedoed, but he only took up in
part the challenge of the Presidents
"shoot on sight" order. Hitler an
nounced that German warcraft
would not shoot first, but would
defend themselves when attacked.
This hardly squares with the known
facts concerning recent German
American brushes at sea. The Le-
high was attacked without warning,
and the Reuben James was torpedoed
when it was going to the assistance
OF the Salinas, which had been
similarly assailed by German u
boat. OF course, only the Reuben
James was an American warship,
the Salinas being naval auxiliary
and the Lehigh merchant craft.
But in their cases, German aggres-
sion is clear.
After having conjured up the pic
ture of Nazi-controlled Europe as a
counterpoise to anything the United
States might attempt to do, and
after warning Britain that any at
tempt to invade the continent would
be summarily dealt with, Hitler
turned to the Russian situation.
Here he recounted familiar figures
of the vast areas conquered and the
almost astronomical numbers Of
guns, tanks and planes captured or
destroyed. He actually raised the
already huge German claims of Rus
sian losses to a possible 100000,
of which 100000 were allegedly
prisoners. How tenacious resistance
TO the German advance could still
be kept up by the Russians along the
entire 2,000-mile front, in the face
of this unparalleled destruction Of
man power and equipment, the
Fuehrer did not condescend to ex-
plain.
Like Stalin's address on a similarly
historic anniversary, Hitler's speech
can be considered as glorified pep
talk, addressed primarily to his party
followers and broadly for home con-
sumption. The fact that it was not
announced beforehand or broadcast
In transmission is ascribable to
prudence. When the Fuehrer spoke
on the same spot two years ago, he
narrowly missed death by a bomb
explosion of mysterious origin which
has never been satisfactorily ex-
planned, and his sojourn in Munich
q year ago coincided with a visit by
the Royal Air Force. It had been
widely conjectured that Hitler would
not appear this year, but would
speak from his headquarters on the
eastern front. He did appear, but
Hnannounced and shrouded in Sc
erecy. This may tend to detract
from the propagandist effect of his
address at q moment when the Ger
man public pretty obviously needs