GERMAN VIEW

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 198, 19 May 1941, Page 8

GERMAN VIEW

Anti-Nazi Journal In London

BLOW FOR HITLER LONDON. May 15. Following is a translation of the editorial of “Die Zeitung. the German anti-Nazi journal, published hr London on May 14 by Sebastian Haffner: The deputy of the Fuehrer has delivered himself into British custody. When Mr. Churchill gave this uupre'cedented piece of.news to the Ministry of Information it startled even the coolheaded Sir Walter Monckton. * But that’s great news,” he cried. “Yes,’ said Mr. Churchill. “The maggot’s in the apple.” It is one of those Churchillian say-’ ings which are bound to become classical. It gives the gist of the matter. Whatever details are behind Hess’s film-like flight, one thing is certain : The prestige of the Nazi lieich has suffered a blow as it 'has not done since June 30, 1934.. It is too early to say why Herr Hess fled to England. There are several possible explanations. He may have got on one of Himmler’s black lists. He may have had serious political quarrels with his “colleagues.” He may, sooner than the less initiated, have got inside information about the real situation of Germany and thereupon acted as many of the lesser criminals will act when the zero hour is approaching: try to get himself out of trouble and play the penitent sinner. .Maybe, finally —there is nothing the trashy phantasy of Hitler and his gang is not up toil is that this “loyalist of the loyal' as he was styled up to yesterday, has been designed only to simulate treason and really to make a last desperate attempt at creating confusion, among the one-time friends of t'he Nazis in England. If this should be the case, one may rest assured it will be foiled by the vigilance of the British Government. No Sentimentality. But there is one thing we must earnestly warn against: That easy sentimentality of some British people which in the gossip columns tends to convey the impression that this Hess is “not so bad,” and pours out moving tales of his shyness, his pleasant smile, and his affection for his wife and child. Make no mistake about it: He is as bad as the worst of them. When this man today plays lire inoffeiiding husband and father, nobody should become his dupe. His flight is a ground for grim satisfaction, not for soft-hearted pardon. But for satisfaction there really is ground: and even more for propagandistic exploitation. Germany has suffered a defeat on the moral and political battlefield which is devastating and which may become decisive if the strategists of propaganda know how to make use of it. To get its true meaning one has only to imagine what it would mean for Britain if Lord Beaverbrook or Mr. Bevin were today to fly to Bavaria in a Spitfire to put their fate in the hands of the Fuehrer. Would that not place a mortal weapon in the hands of Goebbels? Thai is exactly what has happened to Germany —with the difference that Hess is not simply an influential Minister of a democratic state, but the deputy and the designed successor of rhe allpowerful Fuehrer. The blow is terrific' Al! that has now to be done is to make it resound to the remotest corner of the globe. For goodness sake no discretion and no manners this time! This is the moment to make all the noise in the world and to turn every available searchlight on this self-revealed cor ; ruptiou and core-rottenness of the Nazi state. It just so happens that Hitler is in the midst of most delicate negotiations with Inonu. Stalin, Matsuoka. Franco and Darlan. The internal bankruptcy and swindle of the tierman regime which have now come to the light must be so driven home even to the last Turk, the last Russian, Japanese. Spaniard and Frenchman, that it simply becomes impossible for statesmen of those countries to do business with that regime.

Nazi Explanations. They have at once arrested someone for letting him escape in spite of the explicit orders by the Fuehrer. What a charming picture! The third man of Germany, the deputy-successor of the Fuehrer, a notorious lunatic! His adjutant is in reality his warden ! If that is possible—what is impossible'' Are we, perhaps, to hear tomorrow that the Fuehrer himself for years has been “notorious” for being mentally deranged? Would it not perhaps be even more likely with him than with Hess, who after all, had not quite so many public fits of hysteria and is nor known in his personal circles as a "carpetbiter?” It seems as if even the German people have this time stirred in that stupor in which they were being led to the abyss during the last few years. The nervous, fidgety efforts of the Propaganda Ministry and party imply that the event has caused somewhat stronger reactions in Germany than that “self-dontrolled” interest with which, according to the classical picture of the “Reich,” the German people look at Hitler’s victories.