Evening star., 1944-02-27
Thaw May Give Nazis Rest
On Seething Russian Front
Poor Campaigning Weather Will Provide
Opportunity to Shorten Lines and
Launch New Peace Offensive
By Constantine BrOwn.


disaster overlook the Nazi armies there.
Van Seydlitz is we'll known in the Reich.
He comes from a family which has
given Prussia distinguished officers for
at least three centuries. He is the ex.
ample of Prussian junkerdom.
Won Seydlitz, decorated for bravery
with the Iron Cross first and second
class with oak leaves, is not a traitor
to his country nor to his case. Neither
are the other four generals, including a
member of the SIS forces who belong to
the Free Germany Committee. These
men, together with the ministers, in
tellectuals, liberals and Communists
who have formed the organization have
one thing in mind-to save the army
from disaster so that within one or two
generations the German forces will be
in position to take up where they left on.
A similar situation existed after the
Germans went back to their homes from
the battlefront in 1918 with flags flying
and bands playing. The campaign had
been lost and another one was in the
making. This, committee members hope,
will happen again If the German arm
les will oust the present political rulers
and establish military dictatorship on
a socialist basis so as to satisfy the re-
quirements of Moscow.
Offers Way Out.
Premier Stain placed himself on rec
ord when in November, 1912, he stated
that Russia is at war against the Nazis
and not against the German people or
the German army. He said Russia would
not be opposed to the German army be-
ing maintained as an element Of order
in Europe. Won Seydlitz, who frequently
is seen in Moscow in the field gray uni
form of general, tells his people In his
broadcast that Stain maintains his
position that Russia Is battling the NaN
system and not the German people. He
warns the Germans that they may have
to pay for the crimes Hitler has COM
mitted, but a quick peace with Russia
followed by sincere collaboration is the
only way to escape disaster and dis
memberment.
Neither Won Seydlitz nor his follow
ers are traitors to their country in the
sense that they may have been bought
by the Russians with promises of good
jobs and personal advantage after the
war. According to those who know what
is going on between the Soviet govern
ment and the Free Germany Committee,
these men cannot be described as Com
munist stooges. They are sincere pa
| triots who see that Germany can get
out Of her present predicament only by
cooperating with Russia.
These men are as imperialistically
minded as was Prince Won Bismarck,
who forged the unity OF Germany in
1870, or the men around the Kaiser
who wanted to 60 to Baghdad and In
dia and challenge Britain on her own
ground. They supported Hitler blindly
| so long as he held before them the pros
| pect Of Germany ruling the whole OF
| Europe and abandoned him when 1t be-
came apparent he would not be able to
| fulfill his promises
So long as Russia had an internation-
alistic outlook, denounced imperialism
and desired world revolution by rous-
ing the international proletariat, any
| cooperation with the Soviet was odious
to the German Junkers.
See Russia in New Light.
They now see Russia in a new light
it is country after their own hearts
desire. Internationalism has been re-
| placed by stark nationalism. A military
| cast not unlike the German has risen
| as the inevitable result of the war. The
very fact that gold braid has been added
to the Russian uniform and stern dis
| cipline on the prewar Russian or Prus-
| sian pattern has been enforced in the
army instead of the loose discipline Of
the early revolutionary days leads tho
| Junkers to believe that Russia has in
deed changed and that their own philo-
sophy no longer conflicts with that Of
the Soviet Republic.
Whether the Free Germany group,
whose membership is increasing daily
| and whose discipline is as strong as 1t
used to be in the ranks of the Prussian
| Guard regiments, is working on its own
initiative or according to an agreement
with many of the German commanders
in the field, is not yet known. While in
Moscow Secretary Hull objected to the
| committee and Foreign Commissar Mo-
| lotov promised it would be disbanded.