Sept. 4.
When the German reports of British raids on Germany, and German raids on Britain are read together with the British versions some shrewd idea of the enemy's propaganda technique may be obtained. If a German raid on Britain meets with some degree of sticeess, it is always against the most power= ful defence which the British had up to that time offered; if they meet with a reverse—and they are driven back more often than they get through,—then the British air defence Is weakening. It would not be accurate to state that the German communiqués are always to be tested by such means, but it can safely be said that every German success Is secured despite the power~ ful defences of the enemy, while no reverses whatever are admitted, though the slur cast upon the R.AF. in such cases is probably the best indication of the real state of affairs.
The same applies to the figures issued by Berlin relative to air casualties. On no occasion have the Germans, according to their story, failed to shoot down at least four times as many British machines as their own losses.
Now it appears that the German propaganda machine is worried about the] stories gaining currency on the subject of the dwindling gasoline and oil stocks which' Germany possesses. Yesterday in a message seeking to show that everything in the garden was lovely so far as these war essentials are concerned, the following passage was to be read 'According to reports issued by the German' High Command, whose veracity after the experiences of the past 12 months probably is hot doubted by anyone, it is an established fact that the Royal Air Force during its raids almost exclusively hit non-military objectives. 'At any rate these ralely neither destroyed any [gasoline stocks worth while, nor did they' curtail the exceedingly efficient production in Germany of synthetic gasoline, The veracity of the German High Command is the veracity of Hitler, and his attitude on the subject of lying Is too well known to need extensive repetition here. Hitler believes in the efficacy of the lie so long as it is big enough to run a chance of securing, some degree of credence. The truthfulness of the High Command's statements is not doubled whatever; it is known not to exist, and that is an entirely different thing.
According to the enemy news agency report no shortage of fuel is being felt in Germany, whose stocks have been enhanced by those' seized in the occupied territories of Europe. It is probable that big stocks of saline and fall into German hands fas the result of ils successes on land, but) that they did any more than replace the huge wastage which the rapid German advances necessitated is greatly to be doubted. The amounts of gasoline and oil which were used the subjugation of Poland and the overrunning of the Low Countries and a great! portion of France ran daily into almost astronomical figures, while large quantities of the fuel in the Aitied countries were fired before they could fall into enemy hands.! The message in question contains the boast that "Germany's fuel supply for its armed forces is today belter secured than that of Great Britain which is totally depending upon imports," and then goes on to claim that the success of the German blockade of the British coast has resulted in Britain's imports being considerably cut.
The facts of the case are completely opposite to what the Germans would like to/ Believe themselves and what they would seek to impress upon the world at large. The alleged German blockade of the British Isles is up to the present an egregious failure. Even with German artillery on the French shores of the English Channel the enemy has not found it possible to prevent that thoroughfare being used by British shipping, or to cut off the Port of London from the outside world as they claimed they were able to do. It is true that Britain docs depend upon imports for her fuel supplies, but the failure of the German blockade permits her fo receive what she wants with great reqularity, and that from all those parts of the world to which the British Navy denies the Germans access. The capture of sup-the occupied territories will only military machine will hav outrun the supplies. That will come inevitably, and not all the " of the Ger-, man High Command will serve to preven!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.