SAYS HE DID NOT WANT WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1940, Page 5

SAYS HE DID NOT WANT WAR

Britain Asked to End Hostilities THREAT TO THE WHOLE EMPIRE CHARGES AGAINST MR CHURCHILL A speech by Hitler in the Reichstag contained nothing new or unexpected, a Daventry broadcast states. The speech was announced only three hours before it was delivered. In spite of denials, it is known that the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, had a front seat at the Opera House for the occasion. Hitler made an attempt to persuade Britain to call off the war, so as to leave him to enjoy his plunder without retribution. The threat of a blitzkrieg was hurled at Britain, but it was rather less bloodthirsty than was expected and seemed to suffer from lack of assurance. The Fuehrer stated that he did not want war and had had it forced on him. He referred to the achievements of German arms and as a reward promoted a number of generals to be marshals, while Goering was made a kind of super-Reich Marshal. Hitler, accusing Mr Churchill of starting air raids on civilians, said he had ordered hardly any reprisals, but that did not mean it was his only reply. If he did reply, it would bring to people endless suffering and misery and Mr Churchill would be in Canada. The war would end in the annihilation of one of them. Mr Churchill believed it would be Germany and Hitler said he believed it would be Britain and the whole Empire, which he had had no intention of destroying’ or harming. He said he spoke not as the vanquished but as a victor. Hitler’s speech lasted 9JJ minutes. The view in London is that the speech calls for no special comment. Mr Churchill had already made Britain’s position perfectly clear.