The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-19
interpreting
The War .
BY ELTON c. FAY
associated Press War ANAL

Anled leaders, long wary
wishful thinking about 'e-y Ct
on the German home fror+ ''Y'S''
to ,, believe that the tjm s''' IS, Seem
here. 0A1eiSlVe il
Men in high quarters r,.
a few months ago were %''V ,, even
cautious cautious; now refer to Germs nype \.
stralnlng at her internal ' Sesn' AZ
economically and psychoIogi [amS
This is not to say thew sy'S s!.
counting on that factor to br ar
about defeat of GERMANY nor 0,ag
there is any evidence of a para a.s;
stump of morale among the S-'' e.s
my troops. the reliance s,;v v"e'
on plans for new and ever '' r1, u
powerful military blows, now y''H n.
ing carried through. " W.
But the very phrasine Of ~.
Crlmean conference annon,"'
ment reflects the idea Of en c,vs'
aging a schism between the Ns,i
party and the people. 1t procIaim p1,
that Nazi Germany is dooms5'
that the German people" will
only make the cost of defeat beay;
er by continuing hopeless reg,,,
ance; that it is not our purnos.
to destroy the people Of Cer.
many, but only Nazis,n and mill.
tariSm. ''''
The acceleration within the mast
week Of the bombing of interior
Germany, essentially a vast oppr,
alton against enemy transport and
industry, also must have its tpW
ing effect on German peonls
streaming back from adyancins
Allied land armies. Here tbeS
see with their own eyes the doom
their leader has brought upon
them.
Little facets Of news coming OUT
OF Germany, as well as hysterical
home front propaganda, suggest
the rising concern of the Maj
leaders.
An example is the report that
personnel from Volkssturm mite
now are being put into old line
army outfits, the paramount need
of the German army is man2ow.
er replacement and even though
the Vlkssturm members he either
elderly or juevnile, they can pull
a trigger.
OF equal important in the Nazi
planning, however, is the fact
that by scattering the gun-bear.
ing Volkssturm personnel through
outfits of trusted regular troops
a dangerous potential is kept scat.
tered and under watch.
For the first time in Nazi Ger.
many's history, there is oppor.
tunity for large groups Of Ger.
mans to come together without
the occasion being arranged by
the party and the Gestapo, Such
gatherings could not be under
more unfortunate conditions, view
ed from the Nazi angle.
The groups are refugees-firSt
hundreds, then thousands, now
tens of misunderstanding back
toward the interior, away from
the rolling Red Army in the east,
away from the menaced Rhine
land in the west. They have, while
milling around and wondering
from where the next meal will
come, a chance to talk it over
Apprehension over food can OF
be confined to the refugees; II
touches all of the Reich. Allied
strategic bombing and the urgent
need for supplies at the battle
fronts are making chaos Of the
Nazis' erstwnile precision a.
chinery for distribution. Looming
beyond that is the prospect Of &C.
tual failure in food production
something that until last harvest
season has not confronted Ger
many in this war. The granarleS
of Russia and southeastern tu'
rope now are beyond Nazl grasp
The production of France no long
er is to be plundered. There Is
no assurance that Denmark
diaries will continue to be held