Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-01-13
Maxi Collapse,
Rumors Held
Hitler Trick
Seeks Only 10 Weaken
American War Effort
BY PAUL MtLLON

" fetal lines of Information
from inside Germany fail to con-
firm suggestions that Hitlers
regime is about ready to crack.
Disputes apparently have
arisen among the Nazi leaders,
but there has always been per-
sonal competition and friction
among them. Won Ribbentrop' 5
foreign Office. for instance. has
lis experts on American affairs,
Hans EieCkhoff, former German
ambassador 10 Washington. and
Ritter. former ambassador TO
Brazil. The army maintains its
own expert, Kniep, former con-
sui general at New York.
The foreign office, the minis
Try of information. the amy
and others have been Scrapplng
among themselves, a. usual, but
largely IN the way Of competing
for HitlcI'S favor gust aS GOV
eminent departments here fight
ion the support Of Roosevelt on
various projects
HITLER encourages this by
H the way he works. When
an important decision is TO be
made, he calls in his generals.
admiralS, departmental chiefs
and let's them fight II out IN
front of him. He has been
known 10 goad them TO the point
OF fStfghtlng.
Something like that happened
when the decision to move into
Russia was made Many of his
generals wanted 10 eliminate the
Reds before attacking England.
GocrinG opposed this violently.
He did not want 10 use up his
air force in Russia favored an
all-ouI blow against England
After hearing the arguments,
Hitler went off alone and made
the decision.
Dismissal Of General Won
BrauchitSch also may have been
over emphasized IN the outside
world. Hitlcr's personal military
StrateGiSt IS General Jodl. He is
always with Hitler. He planned
the tactics of the campaigns,
After the conquest Of the Bal
kanS nc arranged the surrender
of YugoSlavla and Greece for
Hitler He has not b en- re-
placed
DECALL of Won Book from
IL the front may mean I h a I
this leading offensive general is
being fired. or II may mean he
will suddenly reappear leading
a new offensive for Hitler las
the British did with WavelD.
Shifting Of some of the other
generals looks more like prep
aration for spring campaign
m Russia than an evidence Of
internal army Generalization
Now. everyone here would be
happy enough too believe the
long awaited NaZi collapse is at
hand bat mono Of the authOri-
ties is impressed by I he cvi-
doncc so far. They think rumors
furnish very dangerous comfort
for us Actually some officials
believe the Na2iS themselves
have put out some Of the col
lapse stories indirectly in or
der TO weaken our morale and
our war effort
The Nazl army is too closely
tied IN with the NaZI party 10
lead anyone here TO suppose il
would seek a peace. even if Hit
Ter decided 10 step out OBJ
NiouSly the FIRST thing the united
nations VIII do in peace is TO
abolish tho Germany army and
the army leaders well know
this
The prevailing opinion here is
that Hitler viii have 10 be de-
fcated on the field Of battle.
WHEN the JapS moved into
w air fields only 175 miles
from Singapore. hopes slipped
sharply here Up TO then. the
japanese We're required 10 use
navy carriers a. bases for their
pursuit. ships accompanying
their bombors
Naturally. this restricted their
air activity over the great Brit
lSh fortress. But now with land
bases within pursuit ship range
az Singapore they will be able
20 bring their best method of
attack into play
Most haraSscd of AN defense
organizations Is Tho ,implfca.
ton division of OpM'S bureau
az industrial conservation II
bias been working three months
and all ~ has been able 10 SIM
pljfy is 'oothpiCkS actually
Lawyers for business firms
Viii not allowthcm 10 cooperate
IT'D ~liNG1llfr paper bags allow
only fcw kinds OF carbon and
writing pIpor~ etc. for fear of
an'l-tru>' laws Asst ATTY Con
Thurman Arnold has written
lri'cr promising immunity and
Attorney General Biddle ha, APP
proved ~ but the business law
Ncr~ say the successors of Blddio
and Arnold might change tho
policy tihey remember what
happened IN tho Madison oil
trial>l they want legislation.
but Arnold and Rlddle are afraid
they Will never get the antitrust
laws back on The statute books
If wartime immunity IS legs
lated Tho ~inpllfiCatlon prOprsf,,