Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-12-27
Nazi Leaders
Changing Airs
To Defea+ism
Hitler, GoebbeIs Now
Cry Of Superior Foes
By WESTBROOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
60 MUCH has happened and so
~ much has been said by tho
leaders of the Allies and Ger
many in the last week that I
suspect that most Of us missed
one of the most encouraging de-
velopments Of the war.
This was the first faint and
plaintive but unmistakable note
Of a whine in the communica-
tions Of Adolf Hitler and Joseph
Goebbels TO the German people.
Here was a very significant
change from the characteristic
menace and arrogance of the
Nazi regime, the first note OF
alibi from the leader to the peo-
pie for two military failures. TOO
conspicuous and too CHASTITY in
their cost 10 be disguised as
shrewd moves.
The man who always before
had scorncd his enemies. who
were sometimes mighty aggreS-
SoTS trying To enclrcle and
throttle the German race. some
times contemplate mongrelS
with no belly for a fight and no
ideal but money. now comes TO
his faceleSs following with the .
news that his soldiers were
fighting an enemy vastly SUI
perior both in numbers and in
quantities Of material.
NEVER before had Hitler as
~ Sumed position OF inferi-
GRITTY 10 his enemies in anything.
Mighty though they were at
times when II suited his purpose
10 describe them so and magnify
his victories. they were never
the equal Of his own forces.
Always before. his own long
and generous patience had been
the only authority for war or
peace
When his patience was eX-
hauSted he struck and those
whom he struck promptly fell
not only because he struck with
out warning but because
servants Of his invincible viii
were. in fact, vastly superior.
There vas no need To appeal
10 the fear and Self-Sympathy Of
the Germans and In those cir
cumStanceS. Hitler. like the
kaiser before him. spoke only OF
conquest and OF what he Was
going TO do 10 conquered people
when the fight was won.
But only a short time ago,
Goebbels warned the Germans
that II Russia won they would
live in an inferno wherein he
certainly was right. considering
the mood and the politics Of the
Russians and their indifference 10
suffering either by themselves
or their beaten enemies and The
popular conviction Of the French.
British Poles. Americans and
others that the German nation
and tho people Of Germany share
the guilt for this Second World
War of German origin in %
years.
THE Germans have established
Il some very bad preCedents
which surely react horribly on
them aS a people when this war
Is done. IN their great mass do
pOrtatlonS Of whole population.
IN their imposition Of Subhuman
status on Jews and Poles and
CZeChS
GocbbcIs foreSaw although he
did not 60 into particulars. that
the application Of the Na2i : own
methods 10 The German people
would subject them 10 the very
horrors that they created for
others and he did not exaggerate
when he used the word inferno"
He was thinking Of the de-
humanization Of the Germans for
a long time 10 come
\ nation - not self confident
any more whose leaders IN war
begin by SneerinC a their cne-
mics and ignoring the faintcst
thought Of defeat and then. after
great defeats begin 10 talk Of
tho enemy'S superiority and the
dreadful consequence OF failure.
The kaiser. n MAY be rcmem-
bercd. did not begin 10 appeal
10 the great Self-loyc. Self-pity
and fears of the German people
until he had met his equals IN
war. but from that time on the
German leaders cried only pcrSe.
cution, not conquest.
His early ARROGANCE and the
brutality of(the German utter
ances have been forgotten. thanks
in large part 10 confused and
sentimental historians who en-
joyed the notorietY which they
achieved by eXCulpating the
German nation and thanks fur
Their TO the years Of whining by
most Of the German postwar
leaders.
DUT. Enthusiastically. when q