HITLER MAY BE SORRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23831, 10 June 1939, Page 21

HITLER MAY BE SORRY

WAS PREPARED LAST SEPTEMBER IMPORTANCE OF "MEIN KAMPF" THE EXPANSIONIST POLICY (From Our Own Correspondent; LONDON, May 8. A belief that Hitler was fully prepared to go to war over Czechoslovakia last September, and that he may now be sorry that he did not, is held by certain' sections of public opinion in England. There is also some uneasiness that a group of influential people in the City of London were apparently quite complacent about Germany seizing Czechoslovakia as part of her expansionist policy in Europe. In recent months many oi those who are sceptical of the Chamberlain policy of appeasement have been advocating that Hitler's speeches containing statements unsupported by facts, should be answered by reputed statesmen and historians, and their remarks broadcast to Germany. A criticism has l>een heard of British ambassadors abroad endeavouring to prevent criticism in England oi the dictator's speeches for fear of giving offence and impeding appeasement. Those who think that Hitlei would have fought over Czechoslovakia base their views on statements in "Mein Kampf." In it. they point out, Hitler says that for a people to live healthily, they must have a sufficient area to live on. He declares that it is the duty of the Nordic race to increase their numbers, and to do that Germany must have room for expansion. With an annual increase of 900,000 people, Germany faces a catastrophe without further land. ' ' COLONIES' INSUFFICIENT • In the . desire for this expansion, colonies are dismissed, since Hitler believes that they would not provide the land necessary for settling millions of white peasants. But on the east of Germany, in the vast areas of Central and Eastern Europe, there are immense fertile areas thinly populated by an inferior people. They could be reached by land and conquered by the army, and would form a single continuous realm. To Hitler's mind this provides the only and perfect solution.

To the question, "How can they be obtained?" Hitler replies: "By the German sword, followed by the German plough." He does not flinch from saying frankly that his policy must be one of force, and that the victim to be despoiled must be Russia; and he regards that country's Bolshevist disorganisation as a providential opportunity for Germany. He believes that Germany can "save herself" by this Eastern annexation, achieved by a European war. From 1933 onwards, rearmament, the occupation of the Rhineland, and the annexation of Austria were, in his mind, logical sequences. He believed that they could be achieved without war, but when it came to Czechoslovakia he must assume that he could not avoid fighting. For that reason he was prepared for war in September, and to-day it may even be that he feels sorry that he did not take the step. COUNTRYMAN AT HEART

Hitler,it is pointed out,, is a countryman at heart, with a hatred of what he saw in Vienna as a plasterer. He hates the factories of great cities. After industry has provided the necessary material for war his plan of a future great Germany is essentially a rural Germany.. It is believed that if he were to swerve from his scheme of annexation, he would have to eat almost every word he had written about foreign policy and deny all his Ideals regarding the basis of what he considers a desirable life for the supreme Nordic race. Hitler has said that frontiers had been made by man and can be destroyed by man; in his vieW, it is right to acquire land if a great people appears to be doomed to destruction. . POPULATION OF 250,000,000 In "Mein Kampf" he says: "To-day we have 80,000,000 Germans in Europe. The Tightness of my foreign policy will only be recognised in a bare century's time if then 250,000,000 Ger-mans-are living on this Continent, and living, not squeezed together as factory coolies for the rest of the world, but as peasants and workers; and, through what they produce, reciprocally assure a livelihood to each other."

From that it is seen that Hitler desires to treble the present population, and in that event something like five or six times the present area would be required. The absorption of Ukraine and other territories is taken for granted. It is felt that this part of "Mein Kampf" should receive more attention than it has done, and at least as much as Hitler's references to France. Of that country he says that he will only be obliged to fight her in order to clear the rear of Germany, feeling that France would not stand by and let him seize his opportunities without interference. VIEWS OF THE INFLUENTIAL

There are some influential people, especially in the City of London, who, it is said, have been inclined to think that both Britain and France should stand by and let Hitler expand Germany eastwards. It is believed that they supported the idea of jettisoning Czechoslovakia last autumn.

Against this policy it is pointed out that the resultant new Gorman Empire would be so strong and powerful on every side that no other nation could stand against it. Naive people, who object that Britain could save her army by her navy are reminded that navies can be built quickly, and as quickly outbuilt, and that an impregnable Continental bloc, with great man power, steel power' and oil power, would have gigantic strength.

There is stronger support nowadays for the belief that Hitler, finding himself blocked in his eastern movement by the western'democracies, will round on them first in an attempt to defeat them before continuing with his original plan One section of opinion believes that he would even go to the extent of patching a temporary friendship with Russia to achieve that end APPLAUSE FOR LORD HALIFAX Recently there was much applause for Lord Halifax when he corrected a German statement that Britain went to war to ruin German trade There is growing approval for those who say that such statements, entirely unsupported by facts, should be denied and corrected, and that Hitler's speeches in which errors occur should be taken point by point and the facts, compiled by historians, broadcast to Germany by reputed statesmen In the past, many feel, too much notice has been taken of British ambassadors who have exerted their efforts to prevent criticism of the dictator's speeches for fear of angering him and ieopardising " appeasement."

It is also felt that it is wrong that Hitler's speeches, given wide publicity in the press of every nation, should go unchecked especially in view of hir statement that propaganda is decent only if it is successful, and that it is to be judged exclusively by its real effect, no matter whether it is true or not.

Hitler has an utter contempt for the public it is pointed out—he has called therr. " the great stupid flock of sheep"—and many of his opinions, which he himself firmly believes to be right, are wrong in point of fact.