The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-01
War Interpretive
I CONTINUED from Page One)

message to the Nazi party faithful.
THAT is, until the responsible
criminals are eliminated.
For weeks British leadership has
seethed with efforts to induce
American war help on a scale to
insure British victory, perhaps in
194l. Assistance has been prom.
ised by President Roosevelt in
terms that repudiated peace with
out victory-a British victory.
Thus the 194l war stage has been
set for the ultimate clash. Hitler
has said the next twelve month will
see completion of the greatest vic.
tory in our history" but he denied
as Infamous" and Stupid les
the charges reiterated by President
Roosevelt that the German-Italian
axis intends to conquer the
world" He said that for every
British bomb that falls ION us ter
or, if necessary, a hundred will be
returned"
We'll give them something
back" Churchill told residents OF
smouldering London city.
To what extent Hitler's N e W
Years message to the Nazi party
is his reply to President Roose-
velt's fire-side chat is not clear.
it does sweep aside definitely, how
ever, as does ChurchilIs attitude
and that of the President, any pos
sibility of peace talks until the
supreme military test has come.
Where that will come, whether
in Nazi attack by air, sea and
land upon England or in the East
ern theater where Germany is re-
ported mobilizing a vast Nazi-Ru-
manian army, is still known only
in Germany. Yet by every sign, it
will be against England that Hitler
looses the strengthened and vast
ly better armed Nazi "ces which
he said would bring final victory
in 1941.
However, the even peter" Ger
man army to which Hitler re-
ferred faces more terrific task
than did the legions which swiftly
crushed Norway, the low countries
and France. It is well armed
England that now awaits attack;
and every month of 1941 will find
American aid-short-of-war gather
ing momentum.
If the great Nazi attack at which
Hitler hints is to come at all, it
must come soon, else Britain may
achieve air equality or even SUI
periority with American help. De-
spite all odds, the British air force
has retained control of the daylight
air over England for nearly seven
months. British air fighters inter-
vened even at night to check the
last savage Nazi bombing of the
old city of London, target vir-
tualy without military significance
unless sheer terrorism was the
purpose.
Hitler also ignored in his address
to the Nazi party, as in his New
Years pep orders to his army, the
serious plight of his Axis mate,
Italy, this New Years day. He
brushed Greek and British victo-
ries in the East aside as ''inci-
dental actions, far rer,oved from
the central opera tions of the war;"
Nazi troop movements in Ru-
mania contradict that interpreta-
ton on their face. If German
forces are not being massed there
to aid Italy, their mission must be
defensive. Italian setbacks have
German oil and other
resources in the Balkans re-
sources which alone would make
possible an all-out Nazi war on
England.
Thus every circumstance urges
Germany to strike now at Eng
land, not to wait. Delay could be
fatal to Nazidom. Hitler's threats
can be appraised only in that light.
His expressed confidence could be
born Of desperation. j.