While neutral reporters on conditions in Germany profess to see signs of a certain decline in German civilian morale since the beginning of December, there is nothing whatever to suggest that the Germans will be prepared to accept defeat until conditions become very much worse than they are at present, or until they have received decisive reverses in the field, Hence of recent months the practice of horrifying the German with stories of the hideous ict upon them, allegations that the Reich which the victorious Allies would in-
would suffer political and economic destruction under a peace treaty even worse than that of Versailles. This does not serve to overcome the apathy, indifference and a dull patient resignation which are featured in reports considering internal conditions in the Reich. That there is fear that the home front will collapse in Germany is well known. 1t is strengthened by the knowledge that the home front is far less solid than during the early months of the last war, owing to a great extent to the fact that the Nazis have no fund of loyalty upon which they are able to draw in case of failure as had the imperial regime, for while there may be some degree of loyalty within the Nazi party itself, there is plenty of evidence available to show that the slowly rising tide of discontent against restrictions and repressions cannot possibly be kept under for ever by the use of the terroristic methods of the police and the Gestapo. Powerful as these weapons may be in normal times they are apt to lose much of their efficacy in conditions such as this war is bringing about. Dazzled by the spectacular destruction of Poland, buoyed with hopes of a similar short war with the Allies and as imposing a victory, there can be little doubt that the war was popular at the outset. Herr Hitler was giving his people victories. Since then he has given them nothing but a tissue of falsehoods, and the war drags on its weary course with nothing to comfort the people who were promised first that there would be no war, and ther when it came, assured of speedy victory.
In this connection study of the speeches made by Field Marshal Goering on February 15, and Herr Hitler nine days later, is not without interest. Goerings speech was directed to the agricultural workers warning them that there were grave hours ahead, and promising no fewer than fourteen times that "Germany will never capitulate." The first was a warning that Germans must rise to the occasion and face privation with fortitude, the second designed to give an assurance that they would never again be asked to enter that period of misfortune which commenced in 1918. The Field Marshal did not have the hardihood to promise his listeners an early victory, but slipped in the telling question, "Is it in the interests of the people, on the other hand, to let matters slide, to allow everything to be eaten, and to be bare of supplies within two years?" If that question means anything it must surely be that with all she can produce herself, with all that she can obtain from her neighbours, and with all that she has stored away against the contingency of war, Germany, in Field Marshal Goering's eyes is capable of continuing the struggle under present conditions for no more than two years. It is significant that the German newspapers did not carry a report of the speech the next day, and that when they did it nad been very extensively cut, probably because its general tenor was not sufficiently encouraging. The impression to be formed is that the speech was delivered not merely because of hardships, but because of open grumbling, which led the Nazis to put up their most popular figure in an endeavour to allay. Such a state of affairs is highly significant when conditions in Germany are remembered, and the fact that such a speech was made was official recognition of the existence of a condition which obviously needed correction. Openly expressed dissatisfaction, in a country where freedom of speech has long been denied the people, is much more imposing than it would be in a nation given greater liberty of self-expression.
Herr Hitler's speech was typical of the man. It contained the usual denunciations of Versailles, stupid abuse of the British Ministers and the customary glorification of party achievements. He will undoubtedly go on with the same type of orations until his hearers become completely nauseated, if only because of continuous repetition, and when that happens the game will be up. For the moment all this is designed for the purpose of keeping apathy at a distance, stimulating hatred of Britain as the author of all German woes, and presenting the Nazi as the deliverer from the past and the only possible guarantor for the future. But there is a negative quality about such methods which contains the seed of ultimate defeat.
Of that the Nazis are well aware. They face the knowledge of the possibility of a slow inevitable collapse during a war which has nothing spectacular to appeal to the imagination of the masses, but which has to be conducted on the German side under conditions which can never be conducive of the best morale. Then there is the most significant passage in Herr Hitler's speech to be remembered. It was his closing sentence, the context of which, just as much as the manner of delivery, is of importance. It has been described by one London newspaper in the following terms The final outburst was remarkable and pathetic in its repetition. With a panting voice which had reached breaking point, Hitler again and again repeated: "It cannot be that my people goes down....it cannot be....it cannot be."
Contrasted with this is the statement made by Mr. Neville Chamberlain a few hours previously, uttered in his strong confident voice, "We have no reason to fear the result of this struggle." It is a long step from voicing doubts to expressing apprehension, and it may of course only mean that Herr Hitler was straining after a little rhetorical effect, but the two speeches put together suggest a realization by the Nazi leaders themselves that all is not quite for the best, in theirs the best possible of worlds. It would be extremely unwise to expect that the day of collapse is rapidly approaching. The Germans may have to suffer a great deal more before that comes about, but there are straws in the wind to show which way it is blowing.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.