Evening star., 1941-12-22


Col. Palmer. cesSes.
They did the professional job. He
was the author of total warfare
ruthlessness. Through his fanatical
leading he did them the profession
al service of instilling German SOL
diers with a confident, fanatic fight
ing spirit
He did not pretend himself to be
a master Of military tactics and
strategy. AS conqueror he profit
ed by the renewed prestige of Ger
man war machine efficiency.
His decisions were political in
When and where to strike. The next
task in the program of conquest
was chosen. A commander was
named for its execution. The COM
mander listed the supplies and
forces he needed. Hitler thundered
his incitations to the people.
Bloodless victories were won and
then victories which cost a surpris-
/ ingly little loss of blood for the
ground gained The people saw the
/ promised land opening before them.
! The generals rejoiced in more power.
No Alibi Left for Hitler.
AS commander in chief Hitler has
no alibi now in dismissing any gen.
eral but himself. He alone is re-
sponsible for failure or defeat. Will
/ he drive his soldiers on to further
hardships and sacrifice? How will
they take it from Commander in
Chief Hitler if further floods Of
their blood are shed without VIC
tory in Russia?
Those who have worked with Hit
Ter speak of his lack of logical rea-
| soning power. They saw him as
having a proved gift Of intuition.
| Really he was man who played
| his lunches.
| His generals thought his entry
into the Rhineland was a mistake
when his army was too weak in
numbers and arms to face smash
ing blow by the French Army, which
was not struck. If it had been
France would have been saved.
The Hitlerian hunch had been
right about the Rhineland venture
as 1t was later in the raping of Aus
tria against the judgment of his
/ generals. Thereafter, the generals
had faith in the wisdom of his de-
cisions as long as they did not inter-
fere with their planning and direc-
ton of the actual military cam
paigns.
Morale must be lower in Germany
than we thought for former Corpl.
Hitler to play this latest hunch,
which may be his second error after
that of attacking Russia.
Goering is not unambitious. II
the people become disillusioned
about Hitler the generals may pre-
fer to have Goering as chief. And
then possibly Hitler is a natural
military genius, but such is not
easily conceivable in complicated
modern warfare.
1t was the German Army chiefs
and subordinates who wrought the
coordination of all modern arms in
unquestioned tactical skill. The
time is ripe for the Allies to make
the most of prompt coordination.
Capital Strategic Center.
Washington is the logical place
for Supreme Allied Council. 1t
comes nearest to being the geo.
graphic, strategic, economic and in
formational center. London is off in
one corner OF the widespread area of
the struggle. Moscow and Chung
king are remote.
The business of the new council
will be to speed up production in
realizing on all the resources of the
Allies as a whole, to prevent over
tapping and misdirection, to chart
all supplies and shipping for any
enterprise, to advise out of its
knowledge on plans for the enter
priSes, and to see they have the
initial necessary supplies and the
flow of supplies is kept up.
There the councils authority ends,
this side of the battle line Battles
have never been won by councils
and never will be. One mind must
rule. Time and timing become more
and more vital. Where hours and
minutes used to count seconds now
count.
A prompt and welcome move as
signs to Admiral Ernest j. King the
strategic direction of the operations
of our fleet as a whole. 1t is for
him to see the whole from a posi-
ton where he has perspective.
There must be single command
over both ships and planes in any
action or task, and a centralized
direction is equally essential where
troop, along with Army Air Corps,
operations are included. And the
tricky Hitler may have become COM
mander-in-chief only as a ruse.
Soon we may hear that he has del
egated power to new general.
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Alliance)