Evening star., 1941-01-19
BY WALLACE R. DUEL.

By WALLACE r. DUEL,
ch.easc Daily News Foreisn Correspondent.
CHICAGO. Jan. 20.-If Adolf
Hitler wins the war, sooner or later
he will force the issue with the
United States.
Hitler naturally will pick the time,
the place, the methods and the other
circumstances to suit himself if left
free to do so.
The British cannot beat Hitler
alone. America. therefore. has only
one choice: 1t can confront Hitler
in Europe now and with the ally
that Hitler himself once described
as the best in the World-the British
Empire-or it can confront him in
the Western Hemisphere. later and
alone.
No unfriendly act that the United
States commits. short of formally
declaring war, will induce Hitler to
take up the issue with America
unless and until he wants to do so.
No friendly act and no refraining
from unfriendly acts will prevent
Hltler's forcing the issue when he
decides he is ready for it.
Hitler has not wanted a show
down with the United States thus
far. Therefore, he has refused to
react openly to any of the gestures
OF sympathy and cooperation
which America has made toward
the Allies or any of the gestures of
hostility which America has made
toward the Reich. With few and
unimportant exceptions, Hitler has
also suppressed all other Nazi re-
actions to these gestures. He has,
on the contrary, confined himself to
few proteStations of good will
toward the United States
Takes On Fewest Possible.
In his dealings with America now,
that is, precisely as in his deal
ings with all the other nations he
has hated and set out to destroy.
Hitler is following the age-old rule
OF taking on the feWest possible
enemies at time, and lulling as
many as possible into the false sense
of security until he is ready 10 deal
with them in their turn
When he marched into Austria.
Hitler solemnly assured the Czechs
that he had no quarrel with them,
and some of the Czechs believed
him.
When he seized Czecho- -Slovakia.
in turn. Hitler solemrly assured
D11
with them, and some of the Poles
believed him.
When he invaded Poland. he
solemnly assured the French and
British that he had no quarrel with
them. and some Frenchmen and
Englishmen believed him - not
enough to prevent the French and
British declarations OF war, but
enough to slow down the war eff
forts of both nations
Now Hitler solemnly assures the
United States that he had no
quarrel with America. And, while it
is groteSque and almost unbeliev-
able to any one who has been watch
ing Hitler at work for the past sew
eral years. it seems actually to be
the case that there are some Ameri-
cans who believe him even now.
There was one important Nazi
faction that wanted to force the
United States into the war at the
outset
Like good many ether NaziS.
this faction though and still thinks
that America is a soft. fat. SPOILED
and spineless country: deeply di-
vided on racial. national, class and
other issues; demoralized by the
depression, confused by axis propa-
ganda and utterly unprepared for
war.
Quick Victory Expected.
The war with America now" fac
ton also believed, like most other
Nazis. that Germany would defeat
the Allies within u months. Ameri-
ca, they argued, would not be able
to make its influence felt IN so .hort
a time.
Therefore, they said, the United
States should be forced into the
war early in the conflict. because
quite possibly it might bog down
Completely in its own weakness and
confusion and. even if it did not
DO this. when the Allies were de-
feated America would be left to
face the Reich alone. impotent.
frustrated. prey 10 internal
strife and therefore open to attack.
Hitler overruled this faction
temporarily.
He agreed with its views on Amer
lea. but he had a better idea for
acting on them: He would wait
until the defeat of the Allies was
definitely assured before forcing
the issue with America. Then he
would see. He might force the
Issue then, or he might decide to
wait for better day
Meanwhile, his propaganda would
help keep American participation
IN the war at minimum, and he
would bind Japan closer to the
Reich.
The very lightning defeats of the
Allies which Hitler expected would
In themselves tend to divide and
discourage the United States, he
calculated. Having begun by think
Ing that there was no point in
helping the Allies because they
did not need help, Hitler reasoned,
a good many Americans would end
by thinking that there was no
point in helping the Allies because
1t was too late-Which is precisely
what he wanted them to think and
assiduously encouraged them to
think.
He would have freedom of action
to deal with America after he had