Arkansas State press., 1944-06-02
Allies, Holding Offensive,
Have Invasion ADVANTAGE
Veritas,' Famed British Military Expert,
Sees Nazis Handicapped by Being
Pinned Inside Defense Circle.
By BAUKHAGE
Nsps Analyst and Commentator.

WV 0AvhNUp G1hVAA AhN0N &oAheAA0
Washington. D. G.
What happens when "the coiled
springs Of action" are released in
The cataclysm Of invasion?
Europe Is enveloped in the smoke
aad confusion Of battle and only &C.
easionally does this fog lift SHOW
ing the swaying forms Of vast ar.
mics amid the screaming clatter Of
mechanical combat" It descends
again plotting out the view and
leaving US uncertain as to the
shape Of the plan"
That Is the observation Of one Of
the keenest British military experts,
'Veritas," whose privately circulat-
ed analyses are cabled to this coun-
try and eagerly scanned by persons
most interested in the conflict now
going on.
And Veritas reminds US that we
can only maintain our sense Of
perspective and proportion Il we
keep carefully in mind certain fun
damental aspects Of the military sit
uation from the German standpoint.
This, likewise. applies to the politi-
cal aspects.
AZ well-known psychologist, DR..
Norman Maier Of the University Of
Michigan who predicted the failure
of the Munich appeasement program
by demonstrating in advance that
according to psychological princi-
Piles, it could not succeed. recently
made some interesting observations.
He said that Hitler would be liqui-
dated and a revolution would take
place in Germany as soon as the
last Of the myths" created by the
German propagandists for the pur.
pose Of lulling the Germans into q
false sense Of security were explod-
cd. The Germans. he explains. be-
long to 4 frustrated society" Hit.
Ter cured their Illustration with az.
erosion, when aggression IL frus.
trated, nothing else will be left.
Revised Propaganda
This type Of security propagan.
d. being fed to the German people
had to be revised recently. So much
had been said about the strength Of
Nazi Notifications that the leaders
realized the people had developed
what they called 4 ''Maginot mind"
In other words. they had become
treasured to the point Of compla.
cency. Therefore, the more recent
propaganda foreshadowed success.
ful landings by the Allies and played
up the second line Of defense.
1For instance, 1t was stated that
the city Of Lyons was fortified to re.
sist operations in case 1t became
the center Of the conflict lyons Is
200 miles inland).
Thus, the effort was made to pre-
serve the myth of security up to the
last moment. AS to the possibility
Of revolution before desperation
seizes the Germans, that is slight.
1t is probable that the Germans
might GUST the Nazis now II they
dared; but it is doubtful if anything
short Of the sheer desperation fol.
lowing defeat will turn them against
the guns of the black shirts.
A Swiss who returned from Berlin
just before the day and night bomb.
ing Of Germany began, said:
There can be no thought Of revo-
luton. The Gestapo and the SIS
are too powerful"
He recited this incident:
'An Italian worker who was pass.
ing through the Friederichstrasse
was just about to pick up latter the
bombing Of a cigarette factory one
Of the many boxes Of cigarettes ly.
ing around on the ground. Nearby
was a young SIS man armed with an
automatic pistol . . without any
previous warning. he took aim and
shot the Italian down"
This Is said to be Z typical Incl.
dent and the Swiss declared that
German woman who drops her peck.
etbeok does not dare to stoor over
and pick II up.
The Military Aspects
The military aspects are Z very
different matter. The great strength
Of German strategy built on I'm,
terror lines" has been turned to {
weakness. A nation on the offensive
which can strike overpowering blows
at any point II chooses along The
perimeter Of the territory II con,
trolls has q great advantage.
Its lines r short, they r pro
tected, they move from the centel
outward like the radii Of q circle
The opposing power must iaborious
ly follow the circumference-witness
the supply lines from the Allies t.
Russia which have to sweep around