Timely Topics

Northern Advocate, 28 May 1940, Page 4

Timely Topics

“Hitler wishes to build up a diplomatic position in Europe from which lie could extract all the strength that

WHAT A FRENCH YELLOW BOOK TOLD.

he would gain from military victory. His coneidercble su-

cesses in this effort in the last six months are undeniable. If he could obtain the mastery of Europe by this method, he would be ready enough to make peace without formal victories or sensational triumphs in the field. Then he would gladly enter a conference, and there are many who would take that readiness as a sign of grace, almost of penitence. “It would be, on the contrary, a sign of confidence. For we know | what he would understand by it. The French Yellow Book contains the record of a conversation between an | intimate friend of Hitler and M. Coul- | ondre, the French Ambassador in Berlin, in May of last year. The friend | told M. Coulondre that Hitler’s suc- ' cesses in foreign policy were due to ' long reflection, to the study in the | closest detail of all the diplomatic | combinations, and the use he made of I the weaknesses in the enemy’s camp. ; “In the same conversation he told j M. Coulondre that when once the Pol- ' ish campaign was settled, it would be easy to hold a general conference, for Hitler would come to it strong with all his military power behind him. That is the kind of conference which Hitler and those in Europe who support him have in mind. It is to be a Munich on a larger scale."

“Hitler has a complete and utter contempt for all forms of knowledge and intelligence, and believes only in

HITLER’S GREAT MISTAKE.

ttie emotions of the masses,” said the Hon. Harold Nicholson, M.P..

in a speech reported in the “Scotsman.” “Again and again he has said that the man who can arouse at the same moment the fears of the masses and their greedy instincts is certain to prevail. His application of that theory to his own countrymen has been amazingly successful. What is interesting is that Hitler applies this theory not only to his dealings with his own people, who are by nature lacking in moral courage and have a tendency towards servility, but that he also feels the same system will, work with foreign countries. To a certain extent it does. There is no doubt that Hitler's mehods of propaganda, appealing as they do to the fears and the emotions of the masses rather than to reason and logic, have a certain effect. Yet in countries of very old civilisation and with peoples of great personal intelligence, such as Eritsin. and France, this method does not work in the end.

“Hitier’s great mistake has been to imagine that it is the weaknesses of human nature which in the end prevail. What prevails in the end is the strength and virtue of human character.”