1940: LEADING UP TO THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN

This is one of the many articles I transcribed by typewriter Prior to my acquisition of a computer, OCR software and a scanner. It was transcribed in August, 1986. It is from the Trenton Evening Times of July 19, 1940.
It is a precursor to the historic “Battle of Britain.”

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FUEHRER MAKES IT
CLEAR HOSTILITIES
CAN END ONLY
ON TERMS OF
GERMANY
________________________
PUTS BLAME ON CHURCHILL

BERLIN, July 19 (AP):
Adolf Hitler, the conqueror of France, and the controller of a continent,
Tonight offered Great Britain a last chance to withdraw from the conflict or see destruction of her world empire and terror for millions.
He spoke for an hour and thirty­ five minutes before the Reichstag, to offer "still another appeal; this time the last-to reason."
He did not outline the conditions for a peace that will end a conflict which, he said, it is senseless to prolong. But he made it perfectly clear that any peace must be on the terms of Germany.
He set no time limit for Britain's answer to this "last" appeal, and gave no clue to the conditions un­der which he might be disposed to open peace talks. In this respect his "peace ap­peal" was simply in appeal to the British to come to their senses and sue for peace before it is too late.
He emphasized that "I am not the vanquished, begging favors, but the victor, speaking in the name of reason." Supreme Confidence suggested Hitler's every word, every ges­ture suggested the most supreme con­fidence as he warned Prime Min­ister Churchill that if he insists on a fight to the finish "I prophesy destruction of a great empire, an empire it was never my intention to destroy or even harm."
With a stab of his hand Hitler swept back the lock of hair which regularly falls over his forehead, and continued: "Possibly Mr. Churchill will again brush aside this statement of mine by saying it is merely born of fear and doubt in our final vic­tory. In that case I shall have re­lieved my conscience in regard to things to come. ”Hitler warned the people of Great Britain that their leaders "probably have no real conception of what it will mean, once the German offensive begins in earnest against the British Isles." Referring to Britain's air war against German munitions centers and other strategic points, Hitler said: "A short time ago Churchill be­gan to bomb the civilian popula­tion in Germany.”
Answer to Be Terrible
"I have thus far hardly answered this bombardment. But when my answer comes it will be terrible for millions of people."Churchill should for once be­lieve me; a great world empire then. will be destroyed. And this war will not be ended before one of the two combatants is down and out. "Churchill may think it will be we who will be down and out. But I will make a prophecy, just by way of exception: I know that destruction of England will be the end of further struggle. My conscience compels me to appeal once more to England's common sense. I am not doing that as a defeated man, but as a victor."
Briefly touching on Russo-German relations, Hitler declared, these had been "fixed once and for all by a clear delineation of spheres of interests," and that British efforts to lure Moscow into an anti-German front were not only futile but foolish. Victory in this war, Hitler also asserted, will be a victory for both Italy and Germany, and "the wrongs of both will be righted."
Italy, the Fuehrer said, had en­tered the war entirely of her own accord without any pressure from Germany. his action, however, had helped to make the French realize more speedily the hopelessness of fur­ther resistance. And, once Italy was in the war, Italo-German military and political cooperation was complete, "and the end of it will be a joint victory."
Arriving today from Rome, Count Galeazzo Ciano; Italian for­eign minister and son-in-law of Premier Mussolini, occupied a place of honor in the front row of the diplomatic corps box. Ciano will discuss axis problems with German officials tomorrow and will catch a night train home. Says Bloodshed Unnecessary
All the bloodshed of the past 10 months could have been avoided, Hitler said, for it was not Germany who wanted war. The great aim of the Nazi movement, he ex­plained, was simply to "strike off the shackles of Versailles;" and it would have been possible to achieve this aim peacefully. His pre-war policy in pursuit of this aim, he said, was two-fold: "Real friendship with Italy and a similar relationship with Eng­land."
At Munich, in September, 1938, it even seemed as though this peaceful revision actually would be realized, he told his uniformed audience. It was a time when, "thanks to growing common sense, it ap­peared as though international co­operation might lead to peaceful solution of the remaining prob­lems. But the agreement to this end, signed in Munich on Septem­ber 29, 1938, by the four leading interested States, was not only not welcomed in London and Paris but was actually condemned as a sign of abominable "weakness."
The Munich agreement was con­demned and sabotaged, he went on, because peaceful revision threatened to upset the plans of "Jewish capitalist war-mongers, free-Masons, armament manufacturers and war profiteers, international business men, and Stock Exchange jugglers."
And so it came about that Po­land was "pushed into war" and the peace offer Germany made after conclusion of the Polish cam­paign denounced as "cowardly."
Hits British Troops
In the subsequent Norwegian campaign, which he explained was necessary because of an Allied at­tempt to hit at Germany through Scandinavia, German soldiers met “very brave" resistance from Nor­wegians troops. But the British there, he continued, were poorly trained, badly equipped and "defi­nitely inferior in every respect."
Turning to the great westward push through Holland, Belgium and France, Hitler disclosed that the capture of Paris was not in the original plan of campaign, but after Paris was taken, encircle­ment tactics made possible the rushing of organized French military resistance and left Mar­shal Henri Petain no choice but to sue for peace.
In asserting there was "no real round for prolongation of the war," Hitler confessed he felt only "disgust" at the prospect of a fight to the finish. But "from Britain I now hear only a single cry; not from the people but from the politicians ­that the war must go on. In neither this world nor the next," he exclaimed bitterly, "can (Prime Minister) Churchill and Reynaud (former French Premier) answer for the suffering they have brought upon their people.”
Hitler said German losses, "from the polar regions to the Spanish border, were extraordinarily small. We are prepared for much greater losses," said Hitler. “The men saved now are available to carry on the fight for freedom." At the moment many of our di­visions are returning from France. Many are on leave. Weapons and equipment are being repaired or being replaced by new. The loss of weapons in Norway and especially in Holland, Belgium and France was extremely insig­nificant, and in no proportion to the results achieved. The army and air force are stronger than they were at the beginning of the action in the West. War materials are being pro­duced in such quantities that in some departments it actually is necessary to slow down manufac­ture because of a lack of storage facilities. Thanks to the four-year plan, Germany is prepared to assume the heaviest burdens. We possess today the two most im­portant raw materials: coal and iron in, I dare say, unlimited quantities."
Reviewing the latest revelations in the German white book, Hitler said "Churchill will not be able to lie away" messages allegedly ex­changed by French Generalissimo Maxim Weygand, former French Premier Daladier and others in con­nection with the alleged planned northern campaign of the Allies. He charged the "misuse" of Scandinavian lands by the west­ern powers was particularly ob­vious."
The Fuehrer said German meas­ures anticipating the English and French occupation of Norway con­stituted "one of the boldest strokes of German arms,"
Even while the Norwegian cam­paign still was under way, he said reports became "more and more threatening."
Says Allies Make Task Easy
"On the French-Belgian border a great concentration of French troops took place with the obvious purpose of striking a lightning blow at Germany over Belgian ter­ritory," he declared. But, Hitler asserted, the enemy actually made the German task easy by the vast concentration of western forces in a limited area. "I saw there the necessity of two military actions," he went on. "First, the smashing of mechanized forces on our right wing; second, reaching the sea:"
Hitler went back to his original aims.
"Since establishment of the Na­tional Socialist regime its foreign policy has had two objectives he told the Reichstag.
"First, true friendship with Italy; second, the establishment of simi­lar relations to England. I have published these thoughts and defended them in countless speeches. I am still sad today that despite all my efforts it hasn't been possible to achieve that friendship with England which 1 believe would have been a blessing for both peoples,
"But I am happy the first part of the foreign policy has been realized. I am thankful first of all to the genius who stands today at the head of the Italian people. Only due to him has it been possible to bring together the two revolutions which have so much in common, and now finally by a common flowing of blood to seal the bond which is destined to bring Europe together in a new life."
Declares Italy Great Aid
Hitler said Italy's attitude had been a great aid to Germany. "From the beginning Italy took from our enemies the freedom of strategy;" he declared, "It entered the war on its own free decision.
Our gratitude must, therefore, be so much greater. Our coopera­tion in political and military fields is complete. At the end stands common victory."
Throughout Hitler's speech ran a high note of personal praise for the armed forces and the German people; capped by the announce­ment that Field Marshal Hermann Wilhelm Goering has been ele­vated to the position of Reich's marshal of Greater Germany In addition, may now wear the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. Colonel General_ Wa1ther Brauchitsch, the army commander ­in-chief, and Colonel General Karl Rudolf Gerd von Runstedt,
Commander-in-chief in Poland, were made field marshal generals, and other generals were promoted field marshal.
Goering closed the Reichstag session after the singing Deutschland Ueber Alles and the Horst Vessel song.
"Never before has there beet such a session," the newly-pro, noted marshal general said. "You my Fuehrer, again and again stirred the German people up. To the world you even gave prophesies of vast magnitude,
"Today nobody can deny all your prophesies had usual fulfill­ment."