Hitler's Table Talk

574 DANGER OF PRAISING THE ENEMY
Rommel as a military genius. Churchill's reason for doing so,
of course, is that he does not wish to admit that the British
are getting a damned good hiding (einen tuechtigen Prügel] from
the Italians in Egypt and Libya. He may also hope that by
emphasising the super-excellence of Rommel, he may sow seeds
of discord between the Italians and ourselves. The Duce, however,
is far too clever to be taken in by a trick of that sort. Indeed,
he has himself frequently sung Rommel's praises throughout
the world.
Between them, Churchill and the Duce have caused the name
of Rommel to be hallowed among the primitive races of North
Africa and the Middle East with a prestige which it is impossible
to exaggerate.
This shows how dangerous it is for a responsible person to
portray his opponent in the manner in which Churchill has
portrayed Rommel. The mere name suddenly begins to acquire
a value equal to that of several divisions. Imagine what would
happen if we went on lauding Timoshenko to the skies; in
the end our own soldiers would come to regard him as a superman.
And when one is dealing with semi-primitive peoples,
these considerations carry even more weight. The remark of
our General Crüwell when he was captured by the English
ran like lightning through the whole Islamic world as far as
Ankara; when asked how he liked Shepheard's luxury hotel in
Cairo, he replied: "It will make a grand Headquarters for
Rommel!"
As regards the future status of Egypt, it is clear that Italy
must retain a vital interest therein. Their possessions in Eritrea
and Abyssinia alone render it essential that they should receive
the Suez Canal; and they can guarantee the security of the
Suez Canal only by maintaining garrisons in Egypt. If the
Italians wish to establish themselves firmly in Egypt, both
politically and militarily, they must guard against the danger of
evoking among the local population any feeling of inferiority.
In this they would do well to learn a lesson from the British, who,
with centuries of colonial experience behind them, have
learned the art of being masters, and of holding the reins so
lightly withal, that the natives do not notice the curb.
The Italians must also guard against too eager an adaptation