Evening star., 1943-10-01
Bv EDWIN SHANEF

STOCKHOLM-Tne Nazis big.
gest nightmare is America.
Bit by bit, the Nazi propagan-
dists have been tightening theil
lips on the subject of America. The
Germans still look upon Britain as
their No. l enemy. Their attitude
toward Russia is complicated; strong
cross currents are sweeping among
top Nazis for and against a new
pact with the Soviet.
These are the conclusions of the
Swedish journalist, Arvid Fredborg
He has just spent two years in
Germany as correspondent for the
conservative Stockholm newspaper
Svenska Dagbladet.
Mr.. Fredborg maintains that Ger
many hasn't a single friend among
the nations of the world, that the
Nazi is hated deeply even by his
allies, and that the Third Reich is
Isolated politically because of its
utter political unreiiability and fire.
quent lack of tact in dealing with
smaller states
L. S. Is Issue.
Developing this line, Mr.. Fred
borg says, in general:
The question of the United States
strikes highly sensitive note
among the Germans, most of whom
sympathize with this democratic
nation mainly because it has be-
come the home of millions of Ger
man immigrants. They also remem-
Der the American share in the last
war
For several years the Nazi propa-
ganda line has been to minimize
the power of America, and Berlin
IS tronical about the madness of
the figures They claim American
industries are not even coming close
to figures mentioned by President
Roosevelt.
The campaign of Propaganda
Minister Goebbels in this connec-
ton reached a peak in 1912, but,
1t seems, his frantic efforts failed
to convince his people that the
United States is weak and rotten
morally. The foreign press, how
ever, had to 60 on listening to in
terpretations of President Roose-
Velt by the Nazi press chief, DR.,
Schmidt.
Schmidt Made Blunder.
DR.. Schmidt, in the autumn of
1912, committed a blunder which
for months was live topic in inter-
national circles in Berlin. He in
vlted to his press conference DR.,
Hans Thomson, former German
charge d'affaires at Washington
ana now minister to Stockholm. To
the surprise Of everyone present,
DR.. Thomson refuted the picture
DR.. Schmidt had painted of Amer
lea. Throughout the interview, the
aStonlshed DR.. Schmidt struggled to
get back to topics more favorable
to himself.
DR.. Schmidt asked Dr.. Thomson
If the American people were begin
ming to understand Mr.. Roosevelt
had cheated them. DR.. Thomson
replied that the President, without
doubt, was a great statesman, one
who had the iceople behind him.
We ought not to have illusions
about the, and now that the Amer
lcan pcople have entered the war
they Will fight to the bitter end"
DR.. Thomson added.
Jews Views Vary.
Some Of Dr.. Schmidts devotees
asked if United States politics we're
not dictated by Jews, and DR..
Thomsen gave the astonishing
answer that in America there was
a great difference between Jews and
Jews - between Jews who we're
Americanized, who think and feel
American, and poor proletarian
Jews in a deep abyss.
Dr.. SChmidts forehead veins
sWeled, his anger was plain. Seri-
ouSly. d.. Thomson warned that it
would be unWise to underrate
American armament.
Other Nazl propaganda stunts
backflred after the fall of Crete.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel had
made a big impression on foreign
correspondents when, in an inter-
view in the presence of Dr.. Goeb-
bels, he said the British were cow
ards and fought in a mean way.
Marshal Rommel said in plain words
the British had been beaten and the
Germans would conquer Egypt.
A week later the propaganda
ministry was hit by veritable
thunderstroke. Capt Won der Heydte,
who had been in on the Crete cam
palgn, talked about the experiences
of parachute troops. He had come
directly to the ministry without
stopping to receive instructions on
what to saE.
Tommies Nalor Admitted.
The Tommies are the hardest
and most courageous enemies We
Germans have met" the captain
said. The British stormed forward
against my hattalions positions II
times. The eighteenth would have
forced us to put down our weapons.
Our ammunition was gone, out they
didn't come an eighteenth time"
The captain gave examples of
British courage, and it all had a
devastating effect on the civil serv-
ice men Of the propaganda minis
try. The blunder was discussed for
weeks.
At the bottom of his heart, the