EUROPE'S DANGER

Evening Post, Volume 68, Issue 68, 22 March 1943, Page 4

EUROPE'S DANGER

SPEECH BY HITLER

"CRISIS OVERCOME"

(By. ■ Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Rec: 10.50 aim.) LONDON, Mar. 21.

"We have overcome the crisis and begun' operations on the Eastern Front which will • guarantee final victory," declared Hitler in. a speech •at the Heroes'. Day celebrations in Berlin. This was his first public appearance for more than four months.

Referring to the-postponement of the celebrations from last week, Hitler said: ".Only now have I been able to leave witha calm conscience the place where I have been working for many months. Thanks to the spirit of sacrifice and heroism of our soldiers on the Eastern Front, it was possible finally to overcome.'the crisis in which the German army was plunged by an unfair fate, to- stabilise the front, and to begin operations which will guarantee our successes during the coming months until we reach final victory. Under these circumstances the cancellation of leave which has been in force for many months has.been lifted as from today so that our brave men can return to their homes to an increased extent in the coming months.

. "Last winter must have removed any doubt concerning the seriousness of the gigantic struggle. Historians will tell how great was the danger of Europe being overrun last winter. That danger was overcome, thanks to the soldiers to.whom today is dedicated.

"Even a -lance at the gigantic preparations Bolshevism made to wipe out iour world shows where Germany and Europe would have been landed if National.Socialism had not taken over power ten years ago and if it had not resolved to wipe out .this movement and reorganise the German army. JEWS BLAMED AGAIN. "This pitiless and merciless war was forced on us' by international Jewry, j It, is a war which would have laid Europe in ruins if we had not halted it at the frontiers of Europe. In addition,to the barbarism which is threaten-j ing the world from the East, we also face the destructive rage of the socalled Western. Allies, whose aims are clear' from countless publications, speeches,'and public demands. The idle chatter about the Atlantic Charter will carry as little weight with us as Wilson's fourteen points. . Just as the war-monger Churchill foreshadowed I future developments when he stated !in 1936 that Germany must again be I destroyed, so the same democratic elements are now showing in their peace aims what' type of Europe the;/ plan after the war.' .These aims are identical with the statements of their Bolshevik allies—extermination of all people on the Continent of Europe who are conscious of their nationalities, and the German people in particular. The ; determination of bur people is spurred on by,knowledge of mortal danger and jby the fanaticism -with which they are determined to banish the danger from Europe rand our own nation once and for'all.

*'I repeat, "my prophecy' that at the end; of the war it will not be Germany and-her allies who,have fallen victims to Bolshevism, but those countries and nations which, because they were unsecure in., their social order and because they, fell into the hands, of the Jews more and'more, are particularly vulnerable,; to the Bolshevik poison.

"This winter,has not brought a feeling- of defeatism among Germans. It has .evoked a gigantic mobilisation of their strength. Armarient production is increasing, \although many have been released from industry. As a result, millions'of new men are now in the German, army. Hundreds of- thousands of girls and women have been mobilised for- war work. The future will not be decided by those who drove their people to war. but by statesmen whd. despite limited resources, managed!.to .lead the people to great achievements. The German National Socialist State will after the war work still. • more untiringly for the realisation of its programme. Th.us the 542.000 German dead who so far have, been killed in the second world war will not have died in vain."

Hitler spoke for fifteen minutes —one of the shortest of his speeches. He was not introduced with the customary fanfare. He spoke rapidly, without emphasis, and without feeling. He was not interrupted by applause, nor was there applause later. Hitler was accompanied by FieldMarshal Goering, General' yon Keitel, Marshal Milch, Field-Marshal yon Bock, Admiral Donitz, and other service leaders. What was probably a tribute to the R.A.F.was Berlin's decision not to announce that Hitler was to speak until 50 minutes before the speech was due to begin.