TOPICS OF THE DAY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21223, 20 September 1940, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Fifth Column Tactics Too often the world outside Germany during the past seven years has laughed ironically at Hitler’s apparently fantastic schemes, writes an American correspondent in London. But working on the dictum that “ the impossible always succeeds ” he has achieved such a large measure of success because his impossible is really not impossible but something which his opponent has not anticipated. This was true of the risks he took to achieve power in Germany and is equally true of much that he has done since throughout Europe. These tactics are embodied in the “ fifth column.” a term which in its present usage is traceable to the story that General Francesco Franco, marching on Madrid with four columns of troops, declared he had a fifth column within the capital itself—a statement which General Queipo de Llano broadcast to the world by radio. But such has been the use made of it by the Nazis that, today, “ fifth columnists ” are the advan-ce guard of Hitler’s military forces, who by sowing the seeds of destruction and chaos, weaken or even destroy opposition to the Nazis before the first shot is fired. The fate of Denmark, Norway, Holland and Belgium illustrates this fact simply and effectively.