Evening star., 1942-06-03
lochner
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IOSIIlICI
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contemplated move involves more
risks than the undertaking is worth.
Field Marshal Won BrauchitSch,
who always gave the impression of
being in the pink of condition, ''re-
signed" shortly before Christmas be-
cause of heart trouble, now is re-
ported imprisoned. His resignation
conceded with the discovery that
the army was nowise prepared
for the severe winter in Russia.
There can be little doubt that he
warned Hitler in time.
Gen. Blaskowitz, widely publicized
as the hero of Warsaw, has gone
into the discard. He objected to
the brutal methods of the SIS in
occupied Poland.
Field Marshal Won Rundstedt ap-
pears to have been in the doghouse
for some months following the au-
tumn offensive in Russia. He seems
to have quarreled with Hitler over
the degree to which the German
Army should retreat before going
into winter quarters.
Won Rundstedt proved indispens-
able, however, and suddenly ap-
peared in the news again this
spring.
To estimate the relation between
Hitler and generals correctly, one
must remember the tradition in
which the men in the SOS and COS
who now hold the responsible army
positions grew up. They are left
overs from the imperial regime
The German Emperor and his fam
lily were soldiers from early child
hood on. During the present war
grandsons of the late Kaiser Will
helm II were killed in action.
Rose to High Ranks.
They rose successfully to high
military ranks. They were accepted
not only as equals but, by virtue
of the strong monarchical tradition
ingrained in every German officer,
as superiors.
Hitler to them will ever remain
the World War corporal. True to
their oath as soldiers they obey
Der Fuehrer as the commander in
chief of all the nations military
forces. But they often vince at
his decisions and, when strictly
among themselves, criticize both his
strategic plans and their moral i'm
plications.
Take the keynote speech which
Hitler delivered to the assembled
military top leaders in his Berchtes-
gaden mountain retreat a few days
before the invasion of Poland be-
gan. 1t caused no end of shaking
of heads and whispers of dismay.
One officer sitting in the rear of
the large room where the officers
corps was assembled scribbled the
text of this brief but blood
curdling address in shorthand on
the cuff of his shirt. Some day
I expect to be able to publish that
text.
In it Hitler puts himself on
record as favoring the total war
front in which women and children
can be as little exempted as can
civilian populations generally if
caught between sections of the re-
treating army. He stated bluntly
that he didn't mind being called
Ghengis Khan or Attila the Hun;
history records these names as
those of great doers. He urged
the generals to be tough.
The Polish campaign proceeded
with fierceness and brutality I'M
equaled hitherto, but Hitler was not
satisfied. He wanted the soldiers
and their officers not only to fight
battles but also to make short shrift
of the Polish population.
The army baked at this. So
Hitler sent his uncompromising SIS
men to Poland to clean up" They
did-and countless are the stories
told me by German officers them
selves of acts of inhumanity COM
mitted by the Black Guards.
Gen. Won BlackowitZ, on behalf
Of the army, protested against these
methods. He has been in disgrace
ever since.
Resent Break Given.
The brutality of the SIS in Poland
is not the only objection which the
regular army has against this spe-
cial formation of Hitler bodyguards.
The regular forces resent the pre-
ferred publicity given the exploits
of the SIS in the daily communiques
and they resent the break" given
the SIS always to be In the final
skirmish of a decisive strategic
movement.
I need not quote general on
that-even the buck private feels
that way about it. Here's how
German boy who was drafted at
the very beginning of the Hitler
compulsory service program stated
it to me when on furlough after
the Polish campaign (the poor fell
low fell in France the following
spring.:
WED fight and fight with hell
popping round about us, until we
thought we were ready to take
certain town or other locality. Sud-
denly there was halt. At first we
couldn't understand the reason
everything seemed to be going favor
ably. Well, we learned soon enough
by experience: The SIS troops were
due to arrive to take part in the
final skirmish and to share in the
education. Louise Manlev Kr,lepsr