GERMAN MILITARY CRISIS

Evening Star, Issue 24409, 22 January 1943, Page 3

GERMAN MILITARY CRISIS

"GREATER THAN IN 1918" HIMMLER TO ORGANISE EMERGENCY DEFENCE x (Rec. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, January 21. In an appeal to the Germans to aid their troops in Russia by unity and self-sacrifice, the ' Voelkischer Beobachter' warns the nation to . prepare for a military crisis greater than that in 1918. ' The Times ' special correspondent says: " Himmler has become the Germans' defence dictator. Hitler secretly appointed Himmler to the post of Reich Defence Commissioner, with immense powers to organise emergency defence measures. The appointment was made after two significant developments in the relations between Germany and her satellite Powers. They were, first, a meeting with negative results between Hitler and General Antonescu; secondly, a point-blank refusal by Admiral Horthy to supply more Hungarian troops. Hortrjy gave possible developments in the Balkans as the reason for his refusal." " Hitler has also launched a new labour drive of astonishing proportions," says the correspondent. " It is clear that what Hitler now demands from Germany is identical with what was planned for a similar national emergency in 1918 by the Jew, Walter Rathenau, known as the Rathenau plan. It consisted chiefly of substituting women for men in the factories, shortening the German battle line, and converting •the Reich into a self-supporting fortress." The British United Press Istanbul correspondent says that, according to reports from Budapest, the city panicked on Tuesday after the issue of the Hungarian weekly communique admitting the Russian break-through in a sector of the Voronezh front held by Hungarians. Another announcement cancelled all army leave. Many men will be unable to find their mauled retreating units. Three Hungarian divisions are reported to have been almost wiped out.