Evening star., 1941-07-27
War of Nerues-U. S. Style
How America Is Keeping Axis Powers Edge


l. been deeply developed in today's
world war: namely. those of the blitz-
krieg and of the war of nerves.
Both have been brought to their great
est effectiveness. especially in their ini-
tial operation, by Adolph Hitler and his
Nazi collaborators. The blitzkrieg is
purely military and is applied primarily
by and against armed forces. The war
of nerves is a game of bluff, sometimes
we'll backed up, however, and is directed
against leaders of state. against military
leaders. and against civilian populations.
Nothing less than a full-dress piece of
historical writing would serve as an
adequate review of Hitler's successful ap-
plication of this strategy. Suffice it here
to say that it won him his stained but
bloodless conqueSts of the Saar Valley. of
Austria and of Czecho-Slovakia in the
first stages of his march through Europe.
And in these early days it was not only
the small countries that were being de-
feated by this grisly game of intimida-
ton Britain and France, great nations
as world history is conceived and theo-
retically the dominant powers of Europe
in those desperate years, were treading
timidly, offering too little and that too
late
Behind the pace from the beginning,
France is gone now and Britain fights for
her life Denmark, Norway, Holland and
Belgium joined the earlier captive coun-
tries, and a half dozen Balkan nations
were collected later. In the case of
many of these, Hitler backed his bluff
with blitZ and the terrible efficiency of
the German Armies immeasurably
strengthened the paralyzing effect of his
strategy of pounding at the nerves of
potential victims.
Uncle Sam Calls Bluff
But there has been one government in
the periphery of this world war which
has played at Hitlers game with him and
which has not yet been bluffed back
wards by any of the accomplishments Of
Nazi diplomacy or military might.
1t is. of course, the Government of the
United States and it would be foolish. to
think that the master minds of Berlin
have not been deeply and increasingly
concerned at the strong talk and the
implied threats from this side of the
Atlantic
Since the earliest years of Hitlers
menacing aggressiveness. the attitude in
word and deed of President Roosevelt,
his State Department and others quail
fed to speak officially for Washington
has been consistently unyielding at the
most temperate moments and downright
provocative at many others. Historians
of later day will have much to study
and debate in this record
Mr.. Roosevelt really began his need
ling" of Hitler in the startling and I'M
expected Chicago speech of October, 1887,
deploring the spread of the epidemic of
world lawlessness' and proposing an in
ternationsl quarantine of the aggressor
nations
In some respects nothing the Presi-
dent has said or done since that 1887
,ltterance has surpassed it as a signpost
of policy. He made it clear then that
his administration did not like the Hit
Ter fashion of pressure diplomacy; MOTH
ing he has said or done subsequently has
modified this position.
Perhaps it should be noted again that
the limitations of newspaper writing
make impossible full recounting of each
step in the duel which since has con-
tinued almost without interruption be-
tween the brash Hitler and the bold
Roosevelt. Their pattern can be traced,
however, from the high spots.
Recall of Hugh Wilson.
An early incident, prior to the actual
outbreak of hostilities in Europe, was the
summary recall of Hugh R. Wilson,
American Ambassador to Germany in
the fall of 1888 for consultation" follow
ing closely upon Nazi devastations upon
the Jewry of the Reich. 1t was barbed
gesture and the irritation of Berlin was
demonstrated shortly thereafter by the
recall of Hans Dieckhoff from WASH
ington.
Through the era of the Munich de-
lusion, Mr.. Roosevelt played his cards
"close to the vest sharing the hopes
of most of the world that lasting peace
might grow from this fantastic plant
| ing of sharks teeth. 1t did not, and
when war came in 1899 the President
| sounded the keynote for the continuing
| attitude of this Government when he
| told the American people in a radio
| address on the night of September 8,
| 18 hours after the German armies had
! SWarmed into Poland
Il cannot ask that every American
| remain neutral in thought =. Even
neutral has right to take account of
| facts. Even a neutral cannot be asked
| to close his mind or his conscience"
With the guns actually unlimbered
| this was notice to Berlin of the direction
| that American thinking was going to be
| guided. AS such, it was duly noted, filed
and not forgotten by the foreign Office
| of the Wihemstrasse.
In those early months, however, this
| Government was no more aware than
most others of the blitz forces which
| Hitler was building up behind his bluff,
on the implementation of which the
continuing effectiveness of his war of
nerves was to depend. So we rocked
along with the rest, making only gentle
passes at our own preparedness.
| Neutrality Law Amended.
| Even at that, Mr. Roosevelt and his
administration continued the mental