INSIDE GERMANY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24759, 6 December 1943, Page 4

INSIDE GERMANY

NAZISM ON DEFENSIVE

FORTIFICATIONS IN POLAND FEARS FOR OUTCOME OF WAR BY GUNNAR T. PIHL, Swedish journalist who lived in Berlin until recently No: VII. Darkness lies at the end of the path along which the Nazis are dragging the German people, like a dog on e leash, unwillingly behind them. On all fronts, at home and abroad, Nazism is on the defensive, with its spirit and its economic and material resources strained to breaking point. What, then, does the future hold tor this people who tread the primrose path to the everlasting bonfire? What do the Germans themselves say of the war's outcome? ' , On the military fronts there can be no alternative to the continuation o "elastic defence." This is because o deterioration in the quality of the new German Army recruits and the brevity of their period of training. The effect of the Allied bomb blitz on supply of armaments and equipment has written finis for ever to the days of great German offensives. Hundreds of thousands of Todt Organisation labourers are now working on the final stages of the "Eastern Wall," deep-zone fortifications on the Polish and Rumanian frontiers, based on the Rivers Bug and Dniester. South-eastern Flank There is ample evidence in Germany j to-day to support my prophecy that ; the German Army in Russia will be I back in these positions by next spring. In Italy and the Balkans the Geri mans are confident that the march of ! events will have a slower tempo. They point out that winter in the mountains north of Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia will be bitter lor the British and Americans, as well as lor the German troops. The High Command believes that the south-eastern flank of the European fortress can be held firmly throughout the winter, even though considerable withdrawals may be necessary. Bearing in mind the strength of the guerilla movement in Yugoslavia, I am not prepared to endorse that view. I i was on a visit to Croatia early this | year and met there a young German j soldier whose unit had been ambushed i! by guerilla fighters while the Germans ( slept. He himself escaped notice as he was sleeping under a bush. "When 1 awoke, every one of my comrades was lying quietly around the camp,'' he said, with bewilderment in his voice. "I had heard nothing and seen nothing all night. But when I looked closer, every one had his throat cut. We can fight men, but not shadows." Generals' Greatest Problem . The greatest fear of Hitler's generals ■ is not lest the Red Army break them ; in the field —they believe they are able ■ to light a stalemate war on the East . Front —but lest the home front collapse , in their rear. The propaganda of Dr. Goebbels no longer convinces the Germans, except • a fanatical minority. He Jias made too many mistakes and contradicted him- ; self too often to impose on even the : stupidest people in the world, i But in one respect he still commands ' a hearing. Nazi leaders are so far estranged from the people that now they cannot bolster up a fighting spirit ; with promises of victory, but by threats of what defeat will mean. And the Germans have 12.000.000 ' foreign workers in the country and ■ other millions of war prisoners, a con--1 stant reminder of the hatred of the occupied countries which is gathering like a thundercloud above their heads. Some time ago I visited the estate of a south-east German, where two pleasant-looking, hard-working Ukrainian maids were employed about the house. To impress me, my host asked them how they were treated by Germany. "Splendidly," replied one* girl. "You ' have been so good to us we will shoot you outright when the Red Army gets here, to save you from anything more unpleasant." When Home Front Breaks But is it likely the home front will collapse? And, if likely, is open or/passive revolt practicable in the face of the armed might of the Gestapo? He is rash who dare answer, but I will risk answering both questions with a conditional affirmative. It is likely that the home front will break when military defeats reach such proportions that the working classes realise that no effort of theirs can prevent defeat. It is likely that the Gestapo's power will be broken when military demands on their personnel have so * weakened their quality of fanaticism that larcce sections of them will go over to the people—a process which has already begun on a larger scale than anyone outside Germany dreams. Many simple, old-time officials drafted into the ranks of the Gestapo fill the gaps left by blazing young fanatics who died in the ruins of Kharkov, Orel, Kursk and now in Italy. Add to these considerations the effect on morale of a winter campaign in Russia, intensified by bombing by the R.A.F. on cold winter nights, and other factors, and one begins to doubt whether even 500.000 S.S. men, with 20 squadrons of S.S. planes, will decide the day over and above the people's will. (To bo concluded) POSTAL BAN EASED ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL TRANSMISSION TO RUSSIA A complaint was made at the annual meeting in Wellington of the New Zealand Astronomical Society that a ban had been placed on the sending of the society's journal, Southern Stars, to Russia. Copies had formerly been posted to the U.S.S.R. Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, which embraced all cultural arts and maintained an observatory. In the past year, it was stated, copies had been returned marked, "transmission prohibited by censorship order." On the other hand, information continued to reach the society from Russia J through the normal postal channel. No reason for the prohibition had been given. The controller of censorship. Mr. G. McNamara, who was asked later to comment on the matter, said that early in 1911 all postal communications to certain neutral countries, especially those adjoining enemy or cnemv-occu-pied territories, had been restricted. Postal matter addressed to Russia had been included because there was no direct postal service to that country and mail had to pass through neutral, and possibly enemy, territory. I The fact that certain useful official ' and scientific publications might fall : into the hands of the Japanese, with whom the U.S.S.R. was not at war had led to delay in lifting the restrictions, but in view oi later developments and the fact that there were now limited direct mail facilities had made it feasible to allow official and scientific ' publications to be sent to Russia. Arrangement.s had accordingly been made * to let the Astronomical Society's jour- 1 mil be forwarded. " -