Show German Military Junta Reported Laying Plans for Defeat By ROBERT BUNNELLE LONDON Nov 19 UP A P-A A responsible foreign diplomatic source who cannot be further identified said Thursday that an important junta of aristocratic German military leaders convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced that Hitler cannot win the war has begun to isolate the fuehrer in order to establish themselves favorably with the allies in the event of a stalemate stalemate stalemate stale stale- mate peace or defeat The foreign diplomatic source who said he believed his information information information tion is reliable declared leaders of the junta included Field Marshal Marshal Marshal Mar Mar- Walther von who was dismissed as army commander in chief last winter after counseling counseling counseling counsel counsel- ing against Hitler's winter campaign campaign campaign cam cam- against Moscow Field Marshal Marshal Marshal Mar Mar- Fedor von Bock who was ousted in the midst of the drive against Stalingrad this fall faH and their followers Both these generals generals generals gen gen- are reported to have disagreed disagreed disagreed dis dis- dis- dis agreed with Hitler's strategy i Also Junta Members Also included in the junta it was reported are General Franz Halder Haider who like Von Bock wanted want want- ed to withdraw the southern German German German Ger Ger- man armies behind the Don before it was too late this fall General Fritz Erich von Mannstein Field Marshal General Karl Rudolf Gerd von Runstedt and General Johannes Johannes Johannes Jo Jo- hannes Blaskowitz Advices from usually reliable quarters inside Germany a aid d oc occupied occupied occupied oc- oc countries the informant said indicated that two prime factors factors factors fac fac- tors were behind the formation of the defeatist junta junta increasing increasing dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dis dis- dis- dis satisfaction with Hitler's intuition as a guide to strategy and his steady of the army and high command Provoke Pro Hitler's Ire Some members of the junta were said to be deliberately provoking Hitler's ire so as to be dismissed or relegated from places of re responsibility responsibility responsibility re- re in order to be able to blame him directly for the disastrous disastrous disastrous trous last winter in Russia They were said also to hold him responsible for the defeat of Marshal Marshal Marshal Mar Mar- Erwin Rommel in Africa on the ground that it might have been averted had he followed different tactics in southeastern Russia and taken early steps to reinforce the African forces with soldiers from the eastern front Hitler's speech of November 8 indicating that he planned an even more thoroughgoing of the army and further infiltration infiltration infiltration tion of S S men into the armed forces was said to have materially strengthened the ha hand of the junta among mong old line army officers Possibility of Defeat In that speech the possibility of defeat seemed to weigh heavily upon the fuehrer's mind for he sadi he would never country country country coun coun- try if it things went wrong and he declared that unlike the kaiser laiser he never would give up Allied victories in north Africa continued bombings of Germany by growing allied air power and the generally low morale of the I country were said to be accepted by the junta as signs of doom for Germany The informant said the military group was betting on these alternatives alternatives alternatives alter alter- natives One One One-In In case of a stalemate or peace they will wiH be able to eliminate eliminate n nate te Hitler with allied blessings and perhaps establish another government government government gov gov- possibly Two Two Two-In In case of outright German German German Ger Ger- man defeat they will be in a position position position tion by isolation of Hitler to ask the allies to accept the junker class as the nucleus of a new government government government gov gov- and would seek to convince convince convince con con- vince the United States and Britain Britain Britain Brit Brit- ain that they should be left with sufficient military strength to constitute constitute constitute con con- a German watchdog against Russia I IThe The principal figures mentioned i in the informants informant's outline of the juntas junta's activities have been mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- many times in previous re reports reports reports re- re ports of dissension in the ranks of the German high command |