HITLER’S DEFIANT SPEECH

Southland Times, Issue 23946, 12 October 1939, Page 6

HITLER’S DEFIANT SPEECH

“WAR OF LIFE AND DEATH”

WESTERN POWERS AGAIN BLAMED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) BERLIN, October 10. Herr Hitler inaugurated the winter relief campaign with a speech which, though defiant, disclosed nothing unexpected. The salient sentence was: “If others choose war they can have a war of life and death.” He added: “No power in the world can defeat Germany, crush her militarily or starve her economically. Mentally, nothing can turn us aside or prevent us from realizing our destiny. I have shown my willingness for peace. Germany will take up the challenge to fight to the finish if her peace offer is rejected. “The State which, with the greatest impudence, believed that it could imperil German interests was crushed within a few weeks, thanks to a military achievement which is unique in the world’s history, to the courage of our soldiers and to their brilliant leadership ” Continuing, Herr Hitler said: “We do not know what the future has in store but in no circumstances will the world see us capitulate. Germany has no reason whatever for a war with her western opponents. They started it for ridiculous reasons. Before us is the eternal destiny of the German people. We are not alarmed about the length of time taken to realize our aims. Whatever others choose they shall have. We are entering on a new phase but it will not be more difficult than what we have achieved. The time ahead will help to realize our aim of achieving Nazi unity and will accelerate Nazi solidarity. The war finds us more prepared than ever. “Winter help will contribute towards the Red Cross from its funds. A new national body will emerge from our great struggle. Thus we shall answer the stupidity of our opponents who believe that they can cause disunity among the German people. “Our strength and our ideology have emerged from war. In war they will be proved. The decision lies with others. For us there is only grim determination to accept their decision and to fight it out to its final consequences. The firmer our determination the more certain shall we be of obtaining peace. .“CONTINUAL MOLESTATION” “It must be possible for the German people to live their own lives in accordance with their desires without continual molestation, to obtain the space which they are justified in claiming and which they will claim by virtue of their numbers and their greatness, and within that living space to mould their own destiny and to partake of the world’s goods to which they have a right.” The Nazi Minister of Propaganda (Dr Josef Goebbels) in his first public statement since the outbreak of war, said that 2,500,000,000 marks had been collected for winter relief in 1939-40. No nation’s social achievements were comparable with those of Germany. The people’s task would be to help the Germans in the occupied areas in the east and to help the mothers and children of soldiers. Kindergartens would be established on a gigantic scale so that mothers could work in munition factories and other enterprises. Sundays of sacrifice would replace one-dish Sundays. Those receiving help had fallen to 104 a thousand in 1938-39 from 253 a thousand in 1933-34.

About 220,000,000 marks had been allotted to the .conquered territories, said Dr Goebbels.

PROOF OF SINCERITY WANTED NO RELIANCE ON HITLER’S WORD LONDON, October 10. The Leader of the Labour Opposition in the House of Commons (Mr C. R. Attlee) in a broadcast said: “The people •will not be prepared to be fooled by a man whose actions have showed that no reliance can be placed on his words. We are fighting to get security for the ordinary men and women of all countries, including those of Germany. The Labour Party considers it essential that lawless aggression should be stopped. Herr Hitler’s proposals give nothing but vague promises. Britain asks for some action which will prove his sincerity.” Dr Hugh Dalton, one of the leading members of the Labour Party, said the Labour Party had always been a peace party, but to people who asked that the war might be stopped he replied: “If it is stopped on Hitler’s terms, when would it start again? It would start again as soon as it suited Hitler’s purpose to break bis word once more.” No one now believed Hitler’s promises. “We want peaceful deeds, not worthless words from him now.” As a first step to a peace conference, said Dr Dalton, would Hitler withdraw his troops and police from Warsaw and Prague and restore their freedom to the enslaved Poles and Czechs? Sir Stafford Cripps, a Labour member of Parliament, in a speech at the China Independence Day luncheon, said: “There is a real practical danger that Britain may turn to an alliance with Japan. Many people in Britain are now thinking of the advisability of an Anglo-Japanese alliance in order to offset the Russian-German pact. It is necessary to be on guard and to see that public opinion is made conscious of the need for supporting the struggling Chinese.” NO PEACE ON NAZIS’ TERMS OPINION EXPRESSED IN SOUTH AFRICA (Received October 11, 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, October 11. Another expression of the view that no peace should be made on Nazi Germany’s terms comes from the Dominions. The Cape Times calls Germany’s proposals shameless and states that so long as Hitlerism remains in power in Germany, peace negotiations are impossible. This newspaper expresses complete confidence that the official Allied reply will stamp the impudent proposals clearly and conclusively for the monstrous insincerities they are. This attitude reflects the general feeling among English papers in South Africa. FRENCH DEFINITION OF SPEECH FIGHT FOR GUARANTEE OF SECURITY PARIS, October 10. The Prime Minister of France (M. Edouard Daladier) in a broadcast said: “Herr Hitler’s speech meant this: ‘I have conquered Poland. I am satisfied. Let us have a conference to consoli-

date my conquest and to organize peace.’ Unfortunately Britain and France have heard that before. They will only put down their arms when security is guaranteed. “We must fight against force, we must fight for honest negotiations and for the rights of all nations,” said M. Daladier. “The enemy says that the fate of Poland will be decided by two Powers. We say that Poland’s fate depends primarily on' Poland. The enemy intended to draw a map of Europe giving no consideration to the rights of peoples, but this would bring Europe back to revolutions and wars. A real peace must be based on reciprocal guarantees against all surprises. The time of robbing territories with advantages to the robber has passed. We shall continue to fight to secure a definite guarantee of security.”

M. Daladier added that the German radio had tried to separate Britain and France “but events have proved the futility of these attempts.”