Evening star., 1943-08-01
Nazi Staff Plays Cagey Game
To Prevent Complete Defeat
Br Constantine Bro,pu.

races" such as the Poles, Czechs, French
and Danes
The idea that the Germans are mas
ior people is not Hitler invention 1t
has existed in Germany for hundreds of
years. Hitler gave that idea which was
somewhat dormant after the defeat of
the last war, new impetus. But it did
not take much effort to get the German
people back into the old stride which Is
not only pride in their cultural achieve
ments but an arrogant conviction that
the world must be theirs
These deeply imbedded ideas have en-
abled the Germans to accept physical
hardships as a necessity in order to full
fill their mission" in this world 1t also
makes them excellent fighters who will
give up only when the knife Is at their
throat. They may Whimper when the
hour of defeat arrives, but their cries are
only ruse. Behind it is always the de-
termination to try it again. cost what it
may. The history of Prussia, and since
1870 that of the Reich, is full of such in
stances.
The disappearance of Italy from the
world conflict will not affect in any way
the defense of the Reich The Nazis
cannot expect much assistance from
their oriental associates, the japanese.
Both Allies are playing lone hands now.
The United Nations must prepare to
fight them individually.
The power of NaZi resistance this year
depends largely on what is happening on
the Russian front. 1t is there that two
thirds of the Naz forces are gathered.
1t is there that the decisive battles will
take place.
Plays Cagey Game.
Berlin knows this So does the German
high command which today plays a more
important role than the Nazi administra-
tion in Berlin.
From all available reports the German
high command is playing a cagey game.
1t is no more welded to Hitler as the
head of the Reich than the Italian
people were welded to Mussolini. There
is, of course, fundamental difference
between the two dictators. In Italy the
Kingdom ives preserved. For % years
the sovereign was kept in reserve as
safety valve in the event things did not
go we'll with Fascism. There is no such
safety valve in the Reich. The whole
political structure will collapse the day
the generals decide that the people OF
Germany have had enough of the
Fuehrer and he is eliminated from the
picture. But outside this situation which
might complicate matters, the Germans
will be able to dispose of Hitler with no
more difficulty than the Italians dis
posed of Mussolini
The German general staff is watching
the situation carefully. 1t is not particu-
larry concerned with an invasion of the
Reich this year. The German generals
know that at this time the Allies have
enough forces to go into Italy and may
even break into some of the Balkan
countries such as Yugoslavia or Greece.
But they believe that We have not had
time yet to muster sufficiently strong
force to begin our major job-the crack
ing of the German defenses.
What is worrying them now is Russia,
where they are fighting for their life.
Should they be able to stem the Rus
sian offensive and cause the Red armies
heavy losses, the German generals be-
lieve that they might be able to talk"
to the Russians on the basis of disposing
of the Nazi regime and adopting a lib
eral form of government which might
be acceptable to Premier Stain.
These generals, who in the middle and
late twenties assisted the reorganization
Of the Soviet armies and supervised the
building of new factories for war mate
rails in Russia still believe their best bet
for escaping the severe punishment
promised them by American and the
British leaders, is to convince the USSR
to talk peace before the Allied armies
force their way into the Reich They
hope to convince the Russian leader that
the physical exhaustion of Russia and
Germany will profit neither country in
the end. And basing their arguments
on the fact that some 1000 900 German
troops are still available on the eastern