“MORAL BACKING”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 October 1943, Page 4

“MORAL BACKING”

PROMISED BY HITLER TO GERMANS HIMMLER THREATENS SAVAGE ACTION AGAINST “NON-EXISTENT” DEFEATISM (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. October 8. “Arms alone mean nothing, unless backed by the human will,” said Hitler, giving party leaders a comprehensive survey of war developments. The speech, made on October 6, has only just been released. Hitler declared that the National Socialist Party had never allowed itself to be discouraged by setbacks. “Its hard fighting spirit provides the German people again today with moral backing and support, particularly irr the difficult hours of air attacks,” he said. “We shall strike everywhere and never tire until our aim is reached. If our determination does not falter, the war will end in a great German victory.” Before meeting Hitler, the leaders conferred between themselves and then went to Hitler’s headquarters. Himmler, in a speech at the conference said: “Defeatism is non-existent among the German people. Isolated cases will be eradicated without mercy. Anybody doing the enemy’s job and stabbing the German people in the back during this most difficult struggle for existence, by spreading defeatism and thus endangering the life of all, must die.”