The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-13
GERMANS APPEAR
AFRAID OF LOSS
Continued From Page One)

strategy is that they do not dare
to surrender their armies before
they get them back home. If
they did, such is the implacable
hatred they have aroused among
the occupied peoples, they might
be massacred in Russia, Poland,
the Balkans, Italy, France, Nor
way and the Low Countries. On
the other hand, if they can olsen
gage themselves and withdraw
within the old frontiers of t h e
Reich, they could expect protec-
ton from the Allied armies when
they surrender.
This may not be the correct ex-
PLANTATION, but, if we assume, as
we must, that the German Off
GERS are professional soldiers, who
think realistically about the Ger
man army, it is rational explain
alton. 1t is good reason why
the German army goes on fight
ing. 1t takes account also of Mr..
Churchill's warning that England
may still be attacked in a way
which, while it will not affect the
final course of the war; m y
"call for the utmost efficiency and
devotion in our fire-watchers and
home guards" If the Germans
are now fighting the most gigantic
rear-guard action in military his
tory for the purpose Of getting the
bulk of their troops back home
before they surrender, tn
counter-attack on England to de-
lay the invasion from England may
well be part of Their plan.
1t is clear that the German army
is no longer fighting for Germany,
but for itself. The German troops
who are not killed in battle may,
by this rear-guard action, survive
the war. But while The SURVIVORS
stand to gain, the German nation
stands to lose by every month that
the war is now prolonged. The air
bombardment will reach scale
of violence in the coming months
which NAV well inflic1 irreparable
damage upon the German econ
omy. Moreover, if what the re-
treating German armies have done
in Kiev and in Naples is sample
of what they intend to DO every
where else, then the justice which
Europe will mete out to Germany
will not for long time be temp
cred with much mercy
The Germans are in the appal-
ling dilemma where if they try to
save their army from an absolute
catastrophe they will commit new
horrors as they withdraw it, for
which the German nation Will IN
evitably have to suffer the conse-
quences.
United Nations plans now in the
making are certain to be profound
" affected by the length OF the
war and by the kind Of devasta-'
tion which the retreating German
armies leave behind them. 1t is,
therefore, supremely important to
develop further the great achieve
ment of the Moscow conference
when it established the means for
combined action by the great pow
ers The necessary next phase is
IN do all that can be done now to
make # possible for the liberated
nations to set up effective govern
mental authority when the Ger
mans leave. Britain, Russia and
the United States will have to gov
ern the wreck that was the Ger
man Reich and perhaps the re-
n,ains If the Axis satellite states.
B,1t it is imperative that h e y
should aS d be spared the need to gov
ern Allied territory, and indeed
that the allied European states
should play their part in restor-
Ing order in Europe.
For this reason wisdom in deal
inc " with France is critically inn
nerative now. To avoid civil dis
order ord in liberated France, to be
ah1e to count upon the rapid es-
Enlistment of a strong, democrat
,ic and friendly French govern