The Wilmington morning star., 1945-04-12


broken up. it might seem as ii
there were no further need to be
very much concerned about our re-
lations with the neutrals and the
non-belligerents. Yet as matter
of fact their part in world affairs
in assisting or obstructing the
conclusive defeat of German mill
tarisn - will be of far greater
practical importance Immediately
after the defeat of the German
Army, and for generation after
that, than it has been during the
war itself.
This applies particularly to
Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Por-
tugal, Turkey and Argentina. In
these countries the great mass OF
the people are no doubt our
friends. The same cannot be said
of all the governments, and even
in the most democratic and well
disposed there are powerful I'M
friendly interests which we must
ask our friends to deal with ener-
getically and persistently. Now
that we are able to protect them
against German invasion and con-
Quest, it is our right and our duty
toask their complete the whole
hearted cooperation in demilitarlz-
ing and pacifying Germany. They
can have no doubt that this is a
most difficult undertaking. They
would be insincere or willfully
blind if they sought to deny that
the United States government has
the proof that they are being used,
and that the Germans mean 10
Use them still more later on, as
a base of operations from which
to reconstitute their military pow
er and to reverse their defeat.
Our military plans recognize the
probability that after the deiea. of
the Wehrmacht, Hitler and the
other archcriminals will attempt
to make a last stand in the noun
tains. The Allies have the means
to crush them and they will crush
them. For guerrilla war on any
large scale is impossible over
long period of time unless the
guerrillas are supported, as were
the F. F. !. in France or the par
tisans in Yugoslavia, by strong
military power on the outside.
1t is clear, however, that the
Nazis, though crushed in the
mountains, will continue to fight
by terrorism and assassina +ion al
over Germany and almost GER
tainly in the liberated countries too,
where they are known to have
left behind many agents. The fact
d that they have already murdered
the German Mayor of Aachen, and
have advertised the murder, is to
be taken as calculated declara-
ton of the underground war
which is to follow the open war.
Thought it might seem stupid of
them to show their hand so soon,
thus putting us on guard, they are
not now, and never have been STU
pid when it is a matter of or
ganizing criminal conspiracies.
What they lose by putting US on
guard is more than Offset by the
Germans they will recruit into
their underground rganization.
For our armies occupying their
cities will be Tar less terrifying to
the individual German youth, far
less able to command mis- ale
glance, than the terrorists who are |
likely to pounce upon him in the !
dark Of the night.
The object of this underground |
warfare will be to make the polio
Ing of Germany so costly and COM
ollcated that the unavoidable but |
cumbersome machinery of control |
by the four powers will break
down, and so cause dissension |
among the Allies. It is here that |
The neutrals and acknowledgements
become so important. The under
ground in Germany will need
funds, it will need places to train
its agents, places where they can
take refuge. places in which to
plan conspiracies and organize es-
pionage, places to obtain informa-
ton and to disseminate it, factories
and laboratories in which techn;
clans can develop the lmow-how
and make the prototypes of the
munitions for another war. The
underground Nazis and pan-Ger-