NAZI WAR AIMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 87, 12 April 1940, Page 5

NAZI WAR AIMS.

"FREEDOM OF SEAS."

SEIZURE OF NAVAL BASES.

BRIBES FOR NEUTRALS.

LONDOX, March 15. The "Daily Telegraph's" special correspondent at Copenhagen discusses the Nazi war aims in the following mesuege:— The carefully prepared statements of Germany's war aims issued some months ago by Goebbels , Propaganda Bureau have been exposed since Mr. Sumner Welles' visit to Berlin as obvious fiction published only to pull the wool over the eyes of neutral States, particularly America.

The original statements, which were issued authoritatively through the medium of Wilhelmstrasse spokesmen, preached the doctrine that while Britain wae essentially a maritime Power Germany was essentially a continental State.

As the result of a German peace, it wae stated, Britain might be expected to have to give up her "interference with German lebenstraum" in southeast Europe and the Low Countries, while Germany would concentrate on building up a harmonious Continental co-operation of States under German patronage. Britain would be allowed to operate in the rest of the world.

New Code of Demands. Mr. Sumner Welles' mission, however, has brought into the open a new code of demands, which are broadly described in Berlin as a "basis for ensuring the freedom of the seas." It includes, it appears, the reduction to insignificance of the British Fleet, the surrender of all the major naval lxises in the Empire and, of course, the acquisition by Germany of practically all the Allied Colonies in Africa.

A particular feature of the new German statement of war aims is the manner in which the Xazis have attempted to buy the approval and support of a number of strategically placed neutrals

by promising them various desirable slices of the British or French Empires as the price of benevolent neutrality or armed assistance.

Spain is thus promised Gibraltar and French Morocco, while Italy is offered Malta and a considerable interest in the Suez Canal.

Germany certainly intends, if possible, to retain a controlling interest in the Canal herself, and it is possible that she desires to turn Cyprus into a German naval station instead of, as is vaguely hinted, giving this also to Italy.

Portions of the French Riviera, it is suggested, might also fall to Italy's ehare if she will support Germany.

It has proved more difficult to provide an adequate prize for the United States, but it is stated in Wilhelnistrassc circles that the Bermudas would doubtless prove acceptable to Washington. American sovereignty over the Bermudas, it is pointed out, would prevent in future "outrages" such ns the searching of American mails for Germany at the island.