-34- saries, notably France, have been fully armed for many years and much of this equipment is consequently now obsolete, whereas Germany's armament is of the latest. If Germany is to carry out her program, it behooves her to be fully rearmed and prepared before old equipment elsewhere can be replaced - and before certain countries, notably England, can arm anew. Fifth, parallelism with Italy is two-edged and not reliable. There is a constant undercurrent of rivalry going on between Italy and Germany in the Danubian region. The very increase and menace of German's power may enable Italy to create a "protective" group there including Rumania and Poland -, but this need not be hostile to Germany. In fact its purpose would be to keep on friendly relations with Hitler. In effect, however, it would mean that Germany's aspirations in Central Europe must be kept within bounds. Italy would thus be taking the place of France in Eastern Europe - but not necessarily on an unfriendly basis towards Germany, as was France's position, but distinctly as a "warning" unit. One other point might be added. Bolshevism as a major menace in Europe must be either kept as such or totally exterminated by Germany' s efforts in order to give her the impetus she requires. Hitler, an instinctively adroit opportunist and a devout student of the methods of Frederick Wilhelm |