Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-22
(Fourth in a Series.)
By LELAND STOWE,

the real meaning of Clemenceau!
incompatible phrase, "the victor
becomes the victim of his con-
quests" is gnawing ever deeper into
the Fuehrer's consciousness.
Hitler's conquests are beginning
TO eat his toes and fingers off. II
he hadn't made the fatal error Of
invading Russia, probably Hitler
would have been well on the way
to having the world at his feet
today. Certainly, without Russia's
stupendous 1S-month fight, the
Allies would have several additional
years of war to look forward tc
right unconstitutional that is, be-
yond the very tough job that lies
directly ahead for another II or "a
months or so.
Faces Blacklist New Year.
But If we, on our side, must keeI
reminding ourselves that the hard
est fighting still lies ahead and that
the war isn't won yet, you may also
bet very safely that Adolf already
knows that he has lost the war
This New Year and. this winter will
be the blacklist that the former Herr
Schickelgruber has ever known
since he took over Germany's des-
TIMES nine years ago. Outside his
palace on the Wilhelmstrasse in
Berlin a huge signboard might well
be erected before New Year eve
1t would bear the appropriate
legend:
'WANTED-Just one more blitz
conquest with which to dumbfound
the world. Deliver formula i'm
mediately to-ADOLF HITLER"
But there is no formula and nc
prospect of another blitzkrieg or in
vasion by Nazi armed forces which
can be SUFFICIENT to dumbfound the
Allies or to break their paralyzing
inclosing grip The ANTE" on NaZi
blitzkriegs has gone way up. Both
the risks and the costs are 10 to &c
times greater than they were six
months ago, and infinitely greater
than at any time in 1941. In less
than three years Hitler conquered
almost all of Europe and very large
slice of Russia. but now he's just a
psuedo- Napoleon, with no place to
60.
Nose Broken, Cheeks Slapped.
It's generally admitted in Russia
and the Middle East that Hitler
simply has got to try something be-
fore long. Those fighting fool
Russkies" broke Hitler's nose at
Stalingrad and are now rubbing it
in the mud west of Rzhev. Gen.
Montgomery's 9th Army smacked
Adolf on one cheek by chasing Rom
mel deep into Tripolitania and the
Americans slapped him on the other
cheek in Morocco and Algeria.
So Hitler's pride and prestige-as
we'll as the body of the Axis armed
forces-have been deeply wounded
How can Hitler retaliate?
The Nazi high command is trying
to do two things. Their 200-odd
divisions in Russia are battling des-
perately to slow down the Russians,
but with relatively meager results
In the last three weeks. Simultan-
eously, IN Tunisia, the Nazis are at
tempting to prolong the final phase
0f the North African campaign.
But neither of these protective,
cover-up efforts are sufficient to
patch up the awful dent in the
bridge of Hitler's nose. The great
Nazi improviser simply must pull
another conquest out Of his hat.
Plausible Moves.
German divisions might occupy
Spain; that perhaps is the first
and most plausible move. Perhaps
they'll do thar almost any day;
regardless of railroad transporta-
ton in Spain. and the problem of
obtaining adequate food supplies for
German divisions after they get
there-even regardless of the trouble
the Spanish people would make for
Franco and for the Nazi invaders.
But the Germans would still have a
tremendous task ahead of them;
the necessity of beseiging Gibraltar,
and the great risks of attempting to
cross the straits into Spanish Mo-
rocco with American and British
air forces ready to smite them from
Algeria.
So If Hitler chooses Spain, he will
be compelled to weaken his garri-
son troops in France or Withdraw
urgently needed divisions from
Russia, and he will also need very
stable air forces-from somewhere.
Yet everything indicates that the
Luftwaffe planes already are spread
dangerously thin.
If Hitler could have sent even
400 more planes to Libya in Octo-
Der. Rommell would never have been
driven out of Egypt at such an un-
dignified pace And if Hitler had
had even a few hundred bombers
to spare, what might have happened
to our American troops when they
landed in North Africa?
Air Strength Waning.
Hitler, undoubtedly, has good
many winter headaches and Ger
many's waning air strength is one
of the worst. If the Nazis still have
air superiority in Russia, they are
no longer able to have it everywhere
they need it. They haven't it over
Tripolitania or over Tunis. If they
should try to establish it over the
Straits of Gibraltar, they are likely
to suffer mortal punishment. A tri.
umphal march through Spain may
be as much of consolation prize as
Adolf can hit upon right now, but
the cost of such conquest might well
be unpredictable
Aside from Spain (and PortugaD
Turkey will always remain a great
temptation to the Nazi clique. But
with the turn of wars tide in favo,
OF the Allies, the Turks are now less
inclined than ever to play the role
OF Rumania and Bulgaria to suit
Hitlers appetite. If it ever might
have been possible for the Nazis te
make deal with the Turks. that
time has passed. Which means that
Germany today would be forced te
attack and invade Turkey-such a
dangerous and costly procedure tina,
M@%S$##NMsMsSsSsSsMsss%S% SS%sms@ss&@sss