NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE fact that the attack on Herr Hitler's life in the Munich beer-cellar on Wednesday was unsuccessful does not destroy its significance. The official claim that it was the work of foreigners may be discounted. It is far more likely that the authors were enemies of the Nazi regime in Germany. It is not known, as we write, whether Herr Hess, the Deputy-Leader of the Party, was, as the first reports suggest, among the victims. What is clear is that Herr Hitler in all probability owes his life to an unexpected change in the order of the speeches and the fact that he had to leave suddenly for Berlin. The most instructive feature of the episode is the evidence it provides that even the dreaded Gestapo is unable to guarantee the Fiihrer com- plete security. Herr Himmler, its head, has been seconded for other tasks ; his deputy will have something to answer for. The speech which Herr Hitler delivered before the outrage calls for little comment. It repeats the familiar legend that the German army was never defeated in the last war. On that the views of Hindenburg and Ludendorff in 1918 are on record ; it is a little late to write them off today. The fury of Herr Hitler's tirade against Britain may be a foretaste of actual military attack—or a substitute for it.
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