Evening star., 1945-05-02


The Hamburg radio said yester
Hitler stopped at his birthplace and
placed flowers on his fathers grave
Rome Berlin Axis.
Hitler was sympathetic with Ital-
ian Fascism from the first. Less
than week after he became
Chancellor he said the National So
cialists of Germany and the Fas-
cists of Italy were fighting for "a
common idea" Relations between the
two countries Immediately became
friendly. State visits were exchanged
between Hitler and Premier Mus
solini-the occasions being great
popular spectacles in each country.
Eventually, the Rome Berlin axis
became a full military and political
alliance, to be proclaimed as IAN in
strument of peace
When Germany annexed Austria,
Mussolini was the first to congratu-
late him. Hitler approved when
Mussolinis Invaded Ethiopia and
Albania.
In 1888 Hitler's army was poised
for march into the Sudeten dis
tricts of Czechoslovakia-a state
which came into being after the
World War. Sudeten Germans were
demanding autonomy from the
Czechs. War clouds hung low over
Europe.
Munich Meeting.
Then there was held at Munich
the historic conference between
Hitler, Mussolini, Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain of Great Brit
ain and Premier Edouard Daladier
of France. On September 30 the
tension was broken when it was
announced that Britain, France and
Italy agreed to Hitler's demands.
War had been averted. Hitler and
Chamberlain asserted the desire
OF our two peoples never to 60 to
war with one another again"
After Hitler had followed his SOL
diers into Sudetenland an organ
lied propaganda was started against
the Czech government. On March
IA, 1889, Czechoslovakia fell under
German domination: the country
was broken up. A protectorate was
established over Bohemia and Mo-
ravia. A week later, under pres
sure from Hitler, Lithuania sur
rendered Memel. The new Ger
many had enlarged its borders
enormously in few years.
Portentous signs of another war
in Europe were on the horizon and
President Roosevelt appealed to
Hitler and Mussolini to abjure fur
ther aggressions for at least 10
years. Both dictators scorned the
appeal in April, 1899. Hitler then
scrapped the Polish non aggression
pact and the British naval treaty.
Invasion of Poland.
Uneasiness grew throughout the
world during the summer. The Brit
ish and French were endeavoring
to line up Russia in an alliance
when, out of clear sky, came the
unexpected announcement, August
%, that Germany had signed a non-
aggression treaty with the Soviet.
All Germany was jubilant.
Demands against Poland were
then stiffened; Germany wanted
the Free City of Danzig and the
Polish Corridor" Needless of all
demands, Germany invaded Poland
on September /. England and
France, pledged to support Poland,
declared war on September 8. Hit
ler went to the front with his troops
into Poland after having announced
that in the event of his death he
would be succeeded by Hermann
Wilhelm Goering, his Iron Fist"
After the invasion of Poland, the
man who called himself first soldier
Of Germany" was, with little inter-
ruption, at his headquarters in the
field, emerging between campaigns
for carefully spaced announcements
broadcast everywhere; yet pictured
to the world, in the main, as a
thoughtful figure, surrounded by his
generals, pointing omnisciently to
military maps.
First Peace Offer.
Still believing he could get his
soldiers out of the West Wall by
Christmas, he sounded his first peace
offer before the Polish campaign
was over, in a speech from Danzig
in which he said he wanted peace
but could fight for seven years.
After Warsaw had collapsed he
repeated the offer, specifically ten
dering from the Reichstag sounding
board a proposal for a laying down
Of arms" through a general con-
ference designed to deal with dis
armament and new economic trea-
ties. France and Britain coldly
turned him down.
Thereafter Hitler was to refer
many times to how II held out my
hand"
Subsequently German hints to the
United States brought the definite