Evening star., 1941-06-28

The German high command mas
merely resumed its original objective,
which was the destruction of Russia
as military power. This purpose
underlay the occupation OF Austria,
the seizure of -Slovakia and
the war against Poland. 1t was mo-
mentarily diverted when England
and France intervened in Poland's
behalf After deluding Stain with
non n-aggression treaty, Hitler
turned long enough to the West to
overthrow France and make it i'm
possible, through coast intrench-
ments and strengthening OF air
power, for England to attempt
large scale expedition against the
continent without risk of colossal
disaster.
With his hands thus freed, Hitler
returned to his primary aim of de-
stroying the Soviet Army. This was
considered by German statesmen to
be so necessary that no chance
whatsoever was taken of presenting
demands or an ultimatum, to which
Stain might have yielded. The
Germans simply invaded Russia and
notified the Kremlin an hour later.
No treachery or cynicism is beheld
in the attack, but merely the cold
logic of military realism.
Opposing Interests in Balkans.
The point to remember is not the
Ukraine or Asiatic oil fields, but the
Balkans. For the last century this
region, with its undeveloped mineral
and agricultural resources, has been
a battle-ground Of Teutonic and
Slavic ambition. France and Eng
riod to maintain balance OF power
by intervening first on one side and
then the other. For this reason
England fought Russia in the Cri-
mean War, while England and
France supported Russia in the first
World War, at the end of which
neither Russia nor Germany OBJ
tanned a foothold in the area.
But this time, when Germany be-
gan to devour the Balkans morsel by
morsel, France was impotent and
Russia dared not move. England
followed her traditional policy by at
tempting to intervene in Greece, but
was routed from the peninsula. The
possession of this treasure house of
military and subsistence materials
was indispensable to the survival
of the new order. But it could not
be secure so long as Russia remained
in being as war power.
Hitler was confident that his hold
on the coasts of Norway, the Low
Countries and France had become
strong enough to defy a British
invasion, and that his air arm had
grown to such proportions 1t could
hold the Royal Air Force at bay
while it beat down Soviet aviation.
Thus war on two fronts, in any
substantial sense, was again eluded.
The operations of the high COM
mand cannot be understood unless
two facts are remembered. One is
that it has no timetable, and the
other that its objectives are never
territorial. The present purpose, for
example, is not to conquer the
Ukraine or storm Moscow, though
both may incidentally come to pass.
The central aim is to wipe out Rus
sia's military forces, after which
everything else will be added.
The Russia war means only that
invasion of England is postponed or
may become unnecessary If the
United States goes no further than
patrols in combating the hunger and
munitions blockade being waged with
submarines, bombers and surface
raiders.
If Russia is defeated, then the
Nazis will find that their dominion
over Europe is insecure as long as
Britain survives as a naval power.
If Britain were then overthrown.
the Nazis would eventually act on
the theory that their revolution
could not endure while the United
States existed as a military and
naval power.
The possibility is seen that, with
Russia trampled down, Hitler would
offer peace on terms ostentatiously
generous. He would point out that
the new order was not only impreg.
nably intrenched on the continent,
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