Evening star., 1943-08-09
Germany
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Germany
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the invader, nor of Britain's epic
air battle over the British Isles and
her gallant achievement in holding
the line at the Egyptian border.
Reason Is Psychological.
The reason for dating Hitler's
eclipse as of November, 1942, is psy-
Geological What was it that en-
abled Hitler to embark on and at
tain his unexplained carer? 1t
was chiefly his aggressiveness-hi
being at all times several steps
ahead of his adversaries. That was
true Of him in internal German
pol litics, it was true of him as nego-
tiatofFl the international realm
(see Munich. 1888, for Instance. 1t
was true OF him as the instigator
of the present war and until the
autumn of 1912.
In countless speeches and other
utterances that l heard or that
came to my attention during the
first two and one-half years of the
war Hitler boasted of the fact that
it was he who determined the course
of the war; that it was he who
selected the area of combat; he
who did the challenging.
The appearance of Gen. Eisen-
hover and the American troops
changed all this. Both Russia and
Britain could, with Americas
mighty forces also thrown into the
scales, change over from the de-
tensive to the offensive.
Since the late autumn of last year
it has been the United Nations side
which has done the challenging: it
is Hitler who was forced into the de-
fensive Notwithstanding certain
efforts all of which were doomed to
failure, to regain the initiative.
Question Of Time.
Now a man differently constituted
might accept such a changeover with
a certain equanimity. He might even
grow in adversely. Not Hitler, AS
have known him, cannot but feel
that his psychological collapse be-
gan with Americas active participa-
ton In the European theater of war.
To me it was merely question OF
time when Hitler would so COM
pletely lose all powers of concentra-
ton. of constructive planning, OF ex-
ecution of the multifarious duties
Of his Office that his inepitude could
no longer be CLOSED over even un-
der the conditions of extreme CEN
sorship prevailing in Nazi Germany.
A man psychologically constituted
like Hitler simply could not take it.
If the news of his collapse should
prove premature, essentially nothing
is changed thereby except that the
time schedule is slightly thrown out
OF gear. Sooner or later somebody
other than Hitler must take over.
Then what about Goering? What
about the military triumvirate of
which Goering is reported to be the
head?
Goering Poor Substitute.
Goering is a poor substitute for
Hitler. look at it as you will. His
one time popularity has long van
ished, for he has failed miserably
to make good his promise that AL
lied flyers shall never reach Ger
many. He lacks the authority of Hit
ler and, in fact. has powerful enem-
les among the Nazis.
II the underlying motive of the
clique which reportedly put him
in power was that OF using him as
a middleman between the military
and the Nah Party, that clique
lacked political acumen. Goering
has enemies like the crafty little
propaganda minister, Joseph Goeb-
bells, the ambitious Foreign Min
lister Joachim Won Ribbentrop, the
sinister SIS" chief, Heinrich Hmm
Ter, right within the party-men
who will not hesitate to throw
monkey wrenches into his machin-
cry of government and, if necessary,
gang up against him despite their
mutual dislike of each other.
From the military point of view.
too, those who engineered what
looks like a palace revolution did
not pick winner Goering never
was taken quite seriously by his fell
low officers of the old Prussian
military cast. They admired the
way he built up powerful Luft-
waite. but gave him credit merely
for picking capable men, not for
being the directing genius himself.
On the contrary, it was commonly
said about the time I left Germany
that Goerings only function at the
front was that of handing out deco
rations, that men like Marshal
Kesselring has insisted that he keep
his hands off strategy.
Unacceptable as Nexotiator.
Obviously, Goering cannot be ac-
ceptable to the United Nations as
negotiator. He has always de-
scribed himself as the Fuerher S
most faithful paladin."
He had knowledge Of and
acquiesced in such abominable
manifestations Of Nazi mentality a,
the Reichstag fire of 1888 and the
sham trial that followed it; was
Hitler's chief executioner in the
notorious purge" of June 80, 1884
participated in the looting of foreign
countries as perpetrated by the Nazi
party and It's organs; from time to
time, despite occasional personal
Intervention for Jew he con-
sidered essential, broke into wild
TRADES of an anti-Semitic nature
enthusiastically applauded Hitler's
blood-thirsty speech to his generals
one week before the invasion OF Po-
| land. thnrnnohlu annroMAd n At tha