1940-03-05 — Page 5

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 5, 1940

Expedition Into Germany--No. 6

All-For-Hitler Soldiers

Believe Blitzkrieg Boast

All-not-for-Hitler

Munich has doubts

(By A NEUTRAL OBSERVER)

MUNICH WAS THE most discontented, most grumbly and most anti-Hitler town I found during my Expedition into Germany.

It was all the more of a surprise for me to find this, as I had travelled in the train third-class with some companions who were most zealous Nazis.

I don't know whether they realis- -ed that I was a foreigner. I spoke as

little as I could, and my German pretty good.

is

There were four soldiers-on leave from the West Wall, as the Germans call the Siegfried Line-three civil- ians, and myself.

Conversation began when the sold- iers pulled out their sausage sand- wiches. It was a meatless day and the civilians looked at the sausage rather enviously as they munched

their own humble potato fritters.

The soldiers spoke about food and said how successful the rationing was, how every one in Germany had enough to eat and all were equals, and Ger- many would be able to hold out no matter how much the Englanders

REVIVED HOPE IN BALKANS

London, To-day. Finland's heroic fight has altered the whole atmosphere in the Balkans and made it hopeful again, declared Mr. L.M.S. Amery, former Secre- tary of State for the Colonies, in a speech in London.

Mr. Amery was addressing a meet- ing of the Near and Middle East As-

tried to starve them.

despite the strong.clerical anti- The Italians have been doing Hitler current in Bavaria there is good deal of trade with Germany. I not yet any real spirit of defeatism saw Italian trucks frequently during or anti-war feeling.

my rail journeys through the country.

I do believe, however, that when the break comes Bavaria is one of And the Swiss railways, I learn; the places where the crack will have made their first profit for many show first.

a long year, largely as a result of the heavy trade from Italy to Germany and back.

多

to Much of the German exports Italy have been coal, which would normally have been transported by

The Italians sea,

have sent a certain amount of Rumanian oil refined in Italy to Germany in return.

Not that people rush up to you and tell you that they dislike the Nazis, or anything of that kind, though to my amazement there was a taxicab driver who came and had a drink with me, and described Hitler in good Bavarian as "That Sauhund" (liter- ally Sowdog).

MUST COLLAPSE

But the anti-Hitler feeling is in the One of the soldiers told the story air all right. The usual salutation in of a butcher who had given seventy Munich, for instance, is not Heil Hit- kilogrammes short weight in a meat ler! as in the rest of Germany, but delivery to the army. The rest he Gruess Gott! (God greet you). had sold unrationed to civilians at

I have been asked how effective profiteer prices.

I think the blockade is proving. "He was beheaded," said the soldier well, I think you will have gathered through Italy, I doubt whether any · exultantly, and every one, including

the the civilians eating

potatoes, agreed it served the butcher right.

8,000 BOMBERS Another soldier told of another pro- for having fiteer who was beheaded made a 300 per cent. profit on a de- livery of radio sets to the army. Each passenger in the carriage then re- membered somebody who had been beheaded for something.

from the rationing precautions I have described that the Germans are considerably more respectful of it than they pretend.

STILL EXPORTING: In all export and import tracts concluded nowadays German obligations go only as as the German frontier.

for their delivery at the German fron-

As for rubber and copper, which Germans like to claim they are re- inconsiderable quantities ceiving

significant quantity has eluded British control.

the

The bulk of their copper has been coming from Jugo-Slavia, but it is far from being sufficient to their needs should the Germans open up the war. An.

to

as

other

con- .

interesting feature, to my the mind, of the German fight for their campaign far foreign currency is

induce neutral countries to use A neutral exporting goods to Ger- Germany and her railways for their Then they got talking on England. many has to make himself responsible trade among each other.

The Low Countries, as well Everything was set, said the soldiers, tier. If he is taking goods from Ger- Scandinavia, Switzerland and the for an expeditionary force to set out for Britain in the spring. The sold- many, he has to collect them at the Balkans and Italy, are all being

frontier, This system is not exactly urged to send goods to each iers were ready, the planes were

beneficial to German trade.

overland, using the German railways ready, the parachutes were there.

Nevertheless, Germany since the rather than sea routes. The Heinkel factory had 8,000

war has been, able to export enough Undoubtedly one of the intentions bombers stored away underground, to reduce substantially the deficit in behind the submarine and mine war- they said, waiting only to

be put her clearing arrangements with fare against neutrals is to help in, together. Germany's seventy-eight

She has done this sales campaign of the aircraft factories were turning out planes, said one soldier, at the rate this mainly by sending them goods railways.

clestined ́.. normally for overseas But great as their efforts are, of 100 a day.

markets which she is now unable to great as is the determination of the Goering's underground munitions

Germans to win through, I am con- factories in the Lueneburg moors

The effect of this reduction of the vinced after what I have seen dur were producing new one-man tanks at a stupendous rate. And as

deficit means that she will be able ing my trip through Germany that for

these they will not be able to pull it off. what Goering had stored: in his to bring greater pressure on

it in future to supply her

must come, though countries

Collapse underground arsenals, that was no-

be some time before it does. with materials she wants from them, may body's business. In fact, everything

WORLD COPYRIGHT- rather than the goods which they was fine.

REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR

·

neighbour countries.

reach.

The French didn't want to fight want to export to her, as was the the Germans, anyhow, and when case while she had a deficit,

they saw how England was getting it in the neck they would be glad to make peace.

One of the soldiers had a regular scoop. Von Papen, he said, was in France right now on a secret peace mission. He was about to fix up with sociation, at which the audience in- the French as big a surprise for the cluded many members of the Diplo-British as the Russian pact had been. matic Corps.

The Balkan nations had seen, he sald, that if small nations like the Finns could make such a magnificent fight, there was good hope that the Balkan countries could save them- selves if they stood together,

Dealing with German alms, Mr. Amery Bald who might consider economic overlordship was enough, but, on the other hand, for example, she might feel the need for all Rumania's oil and not merely that part for which she could afford to

pay.

BRITAIN'S AIMS

The civilians were apparently as enthusiastic as the soldlers, They agreed it was all splendid.

POOR PROPAGANDA

I give you this, not because I want you to believe what the soldiers said, but simply as evidence of the kind | of talk which is being dished out to the German soldiers by their in- struction officers.

The kind of stuff probbaly the majority of the Reichswehr. soldiers are belleving.

To tell you the truth, I am rather "As for Britain, our wish is that surprised at it because I had always of the the Balkans may be spared the hor-rated: the propaganda sense rors of war. The war must end with German authorities higher than- a situation in which it is impossible this. for the Germans to make another at tempt to dominate Europe,

"For the sake of permanent peace it is essential that the Balkans be united or one, or more common- wealths that can work amicably to- gether Reater.

DR. KARL MUCK DEAD

Stuttbarte, To-day.

The death is announced of Dr. Kari Muck, the famous German conductor,

-Reuter.

For clearly the reaction from this optimism will be dangerous when it comes, and disillusionment, in my opinion, is inevitable.

The only way that I can reconcile such propaganda - with intelligent leadership is that the army authorl- ties are trying to work up the troops enthusiasm for a knock-out

blow offensive in the spring.

In contrast to this enthusiasm, in the railway carriage Munich was sobriety itself. Though_eyen-here

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