HITLEK’S AIMS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 115, 13 April 1940, Page 8

HITLEK’S AIMS

EXPLAINED IN 1934. SCHEME TO INVADE SWEDEN. The invasion of Scandinavian States —though not Norway in particular, hut Sweden—was among other aggressive projects discussed by Hitler with his intimates as long ago as 1934. Hermann Rauschning, then Nazi president of the Danzig Senate, in his book, “Hitler Speaks,” has since published the notes of conversations he had with Hitler in the early years of his power. “Hitler’s imagination,” Dr. Rauschning wrote, “ranged over the entire world. He would attack Britain at all its weakest -jioints, India no less than Canada, lie planned the occupation of Sweden as well as Holland. The latter country, in particular, seemed to him a valuable jumping-off ground lor air and under-water attacks on England. . . . A situation might- arise, he explained, in which he might risk a great war. In that case he would remain on the defensive T and leave it to the enemy to take the first aggressive step. On the enemy’s doing so he would then seize on Holland. Denmark. Switzerland and the Scandinavian States, improve his strategic positions, and propose peace under certain conditions. ‘lf they don’t like it, they can try to drive me out. In any case, they will have to bear the main burden of attack.’ “On my suggesting that another blockade of Germany would bring defeat, he laughed derisively. ‘The day of Britain’s might at sea is past. Aircraft and - the U-lvoat have turned surface fleets into the obsolete playthings of the wealthy democracies. They arc no longer a serious weapon in decisive warfare.’ ” TOTAL OCCUPATION NOT NEEDED. In the conversation, Hitler had 6aid that in a future war there would be no neutrals. And he added that the Northern States belonged to Germany quite as much as did Holland and Belgium. In the next war, one of his first measures must be to occupy Sweden. He could not leave the Scandinavian countries either to British or Russian influence. “I suggested that the military subjugation of this vast, and to a large extent wild, peninsula, must entail a disproportionate drain on our resources. To this, Hitler replied that there was no question of occupying the entire country, but only the important ports and industrial centres, above all, the iron ore mines. “It will be a daring, but interesting undertaking, never before attempted in the history of the world,” he pointed out. “Protected by the and with the co-operation of the Air Force, I shall order a series of 1 unexpected individual exploits. The Swedes will nowhere be prepared to put up a sufficiently strong defence. But even il one or other of these exploits should fail, tile overwhelming majority of strategic points will be held.”

“NETWORK OF SYMPATHISERS.”

“O.n my expression of surprise, he added that to ensure the political success of this enterprise, it would be absolutely necessary to possess a close network of supporters and sympathisers in Sweden. Such a coup would lead to the permanent incorporation of the Northern States into the Greater German system of alliances only if the sympathisers gained for National Socialism could force an alliance by overthrowing their Government. He was convinced, he said, that the Swedes would no more wage war now than they had done in 1906, when Norway broke away from the SwedishNorwegian Union. “I shall in every possible way make it easy for them to adhere to this determination,” he explained, “more especially by declaring that I have no hostile intentions. I should tell them that I did not wish to conquer them, but wanted only an alliance that was entirely natural and would certainly also be openly desired by Sweden if she were not, out of fear of Russia and Britain, withdrawing into a perfectly suicidal neutrality. I should explain that I came to protect them and so givo the friendly elements in the country the opportunity of deciding according to their own free will.” “I must admit that when I first heard this,” Dr. Rauschning wrote, “I refused to take it seriously. But I believe it ought to be so taken. One thing, however, is certain: Hitler is not interested ill the pure Aryan blood of the Scandinavians, nor in the northern myths of Viking heroism. He is interested in the iron ore mines.”