The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-09-01
By RAYMOND CLAPPER

WASHINGTON. - The t n e
World War ended just about three
months after the German h ig h
command decided it could not be
won. The Germans wasted very
little time in hopeless fight.
This war is almost as old as
the previous World War. 1t begins
its fifth year this week. In three
months more it will have lasted
as long as the other war.
How long will Hitler's regime
hold out after it realizes that the
war has been lost?
By this time it must surely be
clear inside the German high COM
mand that the war has been lost.
| They must know that Russia will
continue to enlarge the bleeding
wound that is ebbing the life blood
out of the German army in the
east They know the submarine
scarcely scratches Allied conveys
now. They had to confess it pub
licly when they permitted US TO
mount the Sicilian offensive for
which supplies and 5000 craft had
to be sent through the narrow
gates of the Mediterranean. They
admitted then that they were pow
erless to stop Allied ships from
running the ocean at will. In Der
lin itself, the evidence of Allied
air strength must be sufficient 10
convince the most pig-headed Nazi
that the race has been lost in the
skies as it has on the ocean and
on the land.
Hitler seems to e internal
trouble because he h made
Himmler his Minister of Interior,
giving that thug complete police
control inside Germany.
Is Hitler preparing to hold out?
Possibly that explains the Himmler
move. But When people want to
quit, no amount of force and terror
can hold them to the war.
In the last war, the collapse
came behind the lines and then
the Allies broke through the crust.
Germany was softened by t h
BLOCKADE. This time air attack is
softening Germany b h n d the
lines, reducing war production, and
making continuation of the war
more intolerable to German civil
ians.
Germany might have defeated
England in 1910, and won the war
Rommel might have broken
through to Suez year ago. Mus
solini went over to Africa ready
to ride into Cairo with the con-
quering troops. That would not
have lost the war for us, but we
might have been unable to win it.
Russia would have been cut off,
and we might have had to accept
la stalemate.
During the last year the course
of the war has been completely
reversed, and it is now only
question of how long the Germans
wish to endure the punishment.
Nazis may hope that they can
force separate peace with either
Russia or the Western Allies. but
that is a lunatic's hope so far as
Hitler is concerned. Stain would
have no reason to spare the Hitler
regime now, and render the sac
rifle of Russian men meaningless.
By prolonging the war OH the basis
of such hopes, Hitler is only sub
jecting his country to further dew
astation and loss of life for no
possible gain. He will go-and I
hope right down under six feet of
sod from a Well-aimed bullet-and
his regime will go with it.
The German people will be dealt
with separately. And there if is
important to note the prospect that
President Roosevelt holds out in
his latest lend-lease report 10 Con-
gress.
The President says that excep.
for the Fascist leaders. people of
the Axis need not fear uncondi-
tional surrender. Until the day of
unconditional surrender, we will
hit harder and harder. But when