The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, April 21, 1945. GERMANY’S TACTICS OF DESPAIR.

Grey River Argus, 21 April 1945, Page 4

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, April 21, 1945. GERMANY’S TACTICS OF DESPAIR.

Strange as was its early stages, the European war is no less surprising in its final stages. The inevitability of their collapse must obviously be recognised by the Germans. It is indeed by the Allies regarded as already in progress. as instanced by the appeal for German seamen not to scuttle their ships, lest the means, of transporting supplies to Germany 1 should be inadequate when need is greatest. Allied leadersmay themselves be at a loss to understand w’hy those responsible for German resistance should countenance a continuance of slaughter that appears quite useless. The situation is an illustration of the fact that the psychology which launched the predatory policy of Germany is entirely contained in a concept of physical force, and that it is otherwise empty of foresight and adaptability. It is, in short, the authentic symbol of a bankrupt philosophy. The Nazis may imagine that, in sticking to their oft-repeated slogan that there would be no repetition of .1918, they are bequeathing future generations a tradition of self reliance, whereas Germany already has suffered enormously more than she did then, and it any memory is more likely to remain, is must be for Germans that aggression is a. misguided and suicidal way of national life. It may bo assumed that the Allies, especially by agency of repetitive raiding like that upon Berlin, have, on their part a psychological no less than a military object in view. They certainly are teaching the that terrorism is apt to provoke retaliation on a scale that dwarfs its inception; .It is doubtful if any other nation would allow itself to be sent like cattle to the abattoir in the manner that the Germans are. now being driven. It is in the light of this that the latest reports of German camp atrocities must be regarded. Physical coercion, not moral suasion, is the thing which the German leaders, especially the Nazis, have relied on throughout their campaign, and if this has been the cause of horrible cruelty, then, however revolting physically it now- may appear, it is not morally such a surprising revelation. The Germans, tor all their boasting of toughness, arc easily led. It must be actually a lack of initiative, rather than a spirit, of patriotism, which has prevented the masses from revolting’ against those elements v iio are sacrificing them tor an object w hich is too obscure to be intelligible to the common sense, of, mankind. In war ope vital weapon is an insight into mind of the enemy. Presumably the Allied diagnosis is that as the

Germans always have relied on ( physical force, that is the only: thing wherewith to convince them] of their impotence, as otherwise it was to have been anticipated' that a cessation of hostilities would ere this have been ar-j ranged. At anyrate, the Reich is 1 now being quickly cut up into pieces, and it appears as if it will, only be by that process that hostilities will be brought to a I close.