The Wilmington morning star., 1944-10-20

was necessary in order to put into
effect the military plan.
What do the Nazis gain, by gain
ing time? Primarily they continue
to live and to exercise power, and
while there is life, there is hope.
But again we shall be underesti.
mating the sagacity Of the enemy
this time his political sagacity
If we account for his resistance
by such phrases as 'fanaticism"
or the desperation Of cornered
gangsters.
We must fix it clearly In our
minds that the Nazis, who know
they have lost this war, are fully
resolved not to give themselves up
or to submit In any way to the
Allied victors. They are fighting
for time because they need time
and can use it to save themselves
and their cause.
It is now clear that the general
mobilization OF the population, aft
er the July affair, had as one pur-
pose, and in the long run its main
purpose, the rescrambling Of the
Nazi leaders inside Germany. The
equivalent Of the ward heelers, pre-
cinct captains, and local bosses are
the mainstay Of the Nazi organi-
cation. BY the general mobiliza-
ton they are being taken away
from the places where they were
known. and would after the defeat
have been arrested and executed.
and they are being stationed else
where under new names and with
false identity papers. In all the
underground movements it has
been found quite possible to hide
men by this method, and the Nazis
are known to be using 1t.
The more conspicuous Nazis may
not be able to do this, but no doubt
they too have their plans, which
take time, for making disappear
ance, or for selling their lives as
dearly as possible. and in a way
which will make their names leg
endary in the Nazi underground.
Besides this primary purpose
to use time gained to organize the
Nazi underground - time gained
has many other advantages to the
Nazis. There is always their hope
that the Allied coalition can be rup-
tured by foolish men who become
distracted by secondary disputes,
or by intrigue. They naturally hope
to gain something from Allied war;
WEAKNESS and from political devel-
opments which lead Americans or
British to believe the war is over
before it Is over.
4 But their greatest advantage
from prolonging the war is, next
to the organization Of the Nazi I'M
derground, to create such misery
and chaos in Germany and in Eu.
rope that any kind Of orderly gov
eminent is extremely difficult.
That explains why the Nazis do
not wish to spare even Germany
the fearful devastation which would.
be brought about by carrying the
war through the winter. The worse
the condition Of Germany when it
lis defeated, the more difficult will
be the task of the Allied occupa.
ton and Of any German authority
which succeeds the Nazis. The
|. Nazis want the Germans to suffer.
. For they are past masters in the
art of exploiting politically the SUI.
fering and the ensuing resentments
of simple people.
/ Time also enables them to dev.
estate, as they sre now doing, a
country like the Netherlands, and
as they will attempt to devastate
Hungary, Austria, Poland. For the
more unmanageable they can
make the continent of Europe, the
richer field for their underground
agitation, intrigue and conspiracy.
copyright 1914, New York Trib-
une, Inc.
|