Friday, October 25, 1940

THREE EDITORIALS

Site Ed. Note: Berchtesgaden, the site of a great salt mine, is a small Bavarian town in the Alps close to Hitler's Bavarian retreat, the Berghof, actually in Obersalzberg. Bad Godesberg, the site of a radioactive mineral springs, is where Hitler met with Chamberlain in 1938 to discuss what became the Munich pact, signed September 30. Mahomet is an alternative name of the prophet Mohammed. It is the spelling Shakespeare used and so perhaps Cash is suggesting subliminally that Hitler might also be claiming Mahomet as a German, just as Cash editorialized in April, 1940 regarding Hitler's claim that Shakespeare was actually a German.

And we might interject that the question whether Mahomet was a "pedophile" because he married a seven year old is rather a silly thing. Were our great-grandfathers in this country child molesters because they married fourteen year olds 150 odd years ago? If the former, then, according to the law of today, then the latter. Take it as you please, Mr. Preacherman.

Mahomet Gets a Visit From a Stern Mountain

The mountain went to Mahomet, which may prove that Hitler is no longer so sure of his eventual victory. There was a time when he sat imperially in Berlin or Berchtesgaden or Munich or Godesburg and had Mahomet, got up as the master of Italy or Czechoslovakia or Poland or France or the mighty British Empire, running humbly to him and his mountainous command.

Sometimes, indeed, he might condescend to climb into a train and ride down to the Brenner Pass, merely by way of showing the overwhelming generosity of his love for Caesar and his legions. And sometimes his footstool, Herr Ribbentrop, would have to be sent on missions to stubborn lands like Russia. But when the mountain wanted something, it sat, and Mahomet came a-running and out of breath.

But this time the mountain went to Mahomet, twice. First to conquered France to turn on all the heat he could muster for something he desperately wanted, and then to Spain for the same thing. Before him went bloodhound Himmler to prepare the way for the holy presence. But even so it may be suspected that he did not go to Spain too willingly. To

The blunt fact is that all the available evidence indicates that the First Soldier of the Reich is personally a capital coward. And in the old Basque village of Guernica alone it probably would have been easy to recruit a thousand men, the husbands and fathers and brothers and sons of the 700 women and children and men bombed to death the first time his Heinkels went out to practice for the present war, who would gladly have walked into the certainty of being blown to bits for a chance to blast him screaming out of existence.

And in all Spain there were hundreds of thousands of them, Asturian dynamiters, Catalans, etc., all with something to avenge upon him. And even Himmler can fail.

Plainly the mountain was sweating hard for something. And was hard driven. Say, by the vision of himself facing that Nelson statue before which he once advised the English to hang Mr. Winston Churchill.

Those Bases in Syria and Africa Are Important

For all that, it seems plain that Hitler got what he went after. And what he got is enough to give the British--and the United States--something to think about

So far as Spain is concerned, what seems to be in the making is an attack on Gibraltar, probably with Spain joining the war at once, though she may still try to pretend non-belligerence only. It is not likely, however, that the British will now waste much time in letting her have it. Appeasement is over, whether Franco knows it or not.

As for France, the Vichy Government is trying to pretend that it gallantly stood up to him and refused demands for the use of the French navy, etc. But it is clear that he virtually takes all of France proper into ihs "Continental system." And in addition he gets air and naval bases in Syria and Africa--on the Atlantic as well as in the Mediterranean.

This is the most serious news of all. The Syrian bases greatly further his scheme for the invasion of Turkey and Mosul, and they make the bombing of the Mesopotamian oil fields immediately possible.

And the Atlantic bases will enable him greatly to extend his naval and air operations against British commerce. Indeed, in view of his taking these bases, it is virtually certain that the French noises about refusal of the fleet are only noises designed to fool the British as long as possible--and that in reality the French fleet is to be used against England the moment Hitler wants it. If so, France will get short British patience, too.

It Might Be Very Bad News For This Country

Equally as bad for England and the United States as the news from Europe is the news from the the East.

It is possible that the Japanese are merely trying to feel out Chiang Kai-Shek in turning loose rumors to the effect that the Chinese general and the puppet Wang have reached virtual agreement and that "peace" is about to be made in China. Or are simply trying to confuse somebody.

But the stories may have basis in fact. Certainly the Japanese have good reason to make concessions in the case, for they want to get their hands free to grab the Dutch East Indies and the rich British Indian possessions, the Philippines, etc. Perhaps they want to do that at once while the war in Europe still engrosses England and more or less paralyzes the United States. But maybe also that they want time to recuperate from the Chinese war first.

In 1943, the Japanese Navy will launch 840,000-ton battleships, and other ships in proportion--will become overwhelmingly more powerful than the United States, which will not be able to catch up again until 1945.

The two-year period between 1943 and 1945 would, therefore, seem to be the best time to strike. In that time, they can certainly assure themselves the permanent ownership of the East Indies, Australia, the Philippines, etc., as well as control of China. And if the Axis is victorious in Europe, it would be a swell chance for the three partners, acting together, to put the United States out of business for good.