Evening star., 1941-10-12
Why Hitler Must
Continue His Conquests
By ODen L. Scott.

JIc COIlCluSlUIl ulldG fTeSlQeIlL flOOSeNelJ
and his advisers reached long ago. That
conclusion is this: Even if he should
want to, and there Is no sign that he
would, Hitler cannot stop in his drive
to conquest unless somebody stops him.
Many members Of Congress and many
people throughout the country hold to
different opinion. Their view is that
Hitler soon will be satisfied and will be
ready to settle down to a peaceful de-
velopment of conquered Europe that
will offer great possibility for revived
trade with the United States. This new
Europe, as they see 1t, can be richer
and more content than the old, with
Hitler sitting on top of it to see that
order is preserved.
The flaws in this picture now are be-
coming apparent. Indeed, they are being
pointed out by Hitler himself They
grow from a fundamental dilemma with
which Hitler finds himself confronted
AS the situation now stands: The Ger
man nation, according to published state
ments of our Army officials, has approx
mately 10000, 900 men under arms. Hitler
says LI1dG Ilc has uiCIl III Ibuoold.
To support that vast army, which would
correspond with an army OF 100000 in
the United States, the German nation
is found by this Governments officials
to be devoting nearly 80 per cent Of
all of its energies.
Furthermore: Hitler told the world
that he is marshaling the energies of
nearly 30O0OO,0OO people in Europe, out
side Of Germany, to the business OF war.
The industries of occupied and unoccu-
pied France, Of Italy Of the Scandinavian
countries, of the Balkans and now the
conquered industries of Russia are turned
to the service of the German war
machine.
1t is there that the trouble lies.
II Hitler turned his attention from
war to peace, he would be confronted
with an economic crash that might sweep
him into oblivion. A German nation that
has devoted every energy to war prepara-
ton and to war during more than eight
years, simply could not adjust itself to
peace overnight. The same observation
applies to industry in all of the nations of
Europe. End the business of war and
the inevitable depression probably would
be deeper than any previous decline in
history.
Yet, If Hitler drives ahead to one con-
quest after another-as it seems that he
must II he is to avoid a revolution at
home-he is heading for trouble. The
reason is that he is using up the SUBJ
stance of Germany and Of Europe for
destructive purposes. 1t now Is clear to
the world that Hitler can impose his will
in conquered territories only by the use
OF continued force. Those countries must
be looted to provide the Germans with
the goods that they require for their
conquering armies But once the looting
is over, very little remains to support
the war machine. And at home, debt is
rising to fantastic heights while there
Is steady eating into German reserves
The result is that Hitler is in a far
from enviable position. He has led the
German people to believe that his con-
quests will yield them riches and a ly-
ing standard higher than that of any
other nation on earth. Yet the actual
search for these riches Is like the quest
for the pot Of gold at the bottom of the
rainbow. 1t always is over the next hill.
But having set out to grab that gold,
there Is nothing that Hitler can do but
keep chasing after 1t. There Is no way
to tell where the chase will lead. backed
as 1t Is by 10000 900 men armed with a
colossal supply Of weapons and educated
in their skillful use.
His army Is Hitler's one means of try-
ing to get what he wants. Without 1t, he
would be lost. With it, he can do nothing
but push ahead to one conquest after
another, trying still to find the riches he
has promised his people.
Certainly, nowhere In the world can
there be return to normal conditions
so long as this situation exists.
The British Empire gradually is being
forced to mobilize its resources for war
on a scale comparable to that in Ger
many. The United States Is forced to
turn more and more Of its attention to
war preparations Soon 20 per cent and
then Is per cent, and, before another
year is out, 80 per cent Of Americas to-
tai energy will be directed toward arma-
ment. That Is far cry from the 80 per
cent Of Germany Of course. but the
German nation is second-rate indus
trially compared with the United States.
Even so, once this Nation is devoting
one-third Of its energies to war prepara-
ton, the problem of adjustment back to
peace will be very great. 1t will be far
greater than after the armistice of 1918.
The fact is that Hitler Is upsettinp the
entire world and will continue to have
the world upset until he is stopped.
AS things now look, Russia isn't to be
the power to do the stopping.
Hitler's conquering armies gradually
are occupying the industrial heart of
Russia. The Leningrad area, already cut
of from the rest of Russia, contains
many important industries. In the
Ukraine are the bulk of Russia's vital
raw materials, including coal and iron
and manganese and wheat and sugar, as
we'll as many of its industrial plants
German forces are striking at those
key regions. Once they are lost, the Rus
slams can go on fighting, but they will
be unable to continue to supply to their
armies the vast quantities of war imple-
ments that are required for successful
resistance. Russia will have the man
power to stand against the Germans but
not the industrial power needed to equip
that man power with the quantities of
weapons that modern war requires.