“ONLY A MIRACLE CAN SAVE GERMANY"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 63, 16 March 1942, Page 5

“ONLY A MIRACLE CAN SAVE GERMANY"

DR. BENES CONFIDENT BROADCAST TO CZECHS NAZIS’ F ATAL BLUNDER (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copy right.) (Recd. 6.30 p.m.) London, March 14. “I know for an absolute certainty from Berlin itself that in Germany the military leaders believe that only a miracle can save Germany,” said Dr. Eduard Benos, broadcasting to the Czechs on the eve of the third anniversary of the German entry into Prague. Recounting Germany's mistakes, culminating in the fatal blunder of thinking they could destrov Russia in six weeks he added: “Now. finally, they are staking all on a single card—their coming spring offensive against Russia. This will, in its ultimate results, be their final disappointment. Even though I expect with certainty some successes for them at the beginning of the offensive, I count on equal certainty that we shall see events this autumn which herald to us the approaching inevitable crisis and catastrophe to the whole German military and political system. The climax of (his crisis can scarcely come later than the spring of 1943, and Japan will be defeated by the fall of Germany. I myself desired that war should have broken out in September. 1938, before Municl. I counted on Hitler’s provoking it. I did prepare accordingly, but the rest of Europe especiallv the western democracies,, did not understand the situation in 1938 and w.ere not prepared for war. I saw that it would have been a mistake for us to embark on a defensive war against the Germans alone. We were forced to make a sacrifice which is, perhaps, unique in history—we ransomed peace for the world with a piece of flesh from our own body. It is again only part of the laws of this war that the weakness and errors of France, Poland, and other Central European States were paid for so heavily, and are still being paid for. but in its laws lies also our resurrection. We have not so long to wait now.”