Hitler's Table Talk

664 LAND AND WATER TRANSPORT
Britain enjoys one immense natural advantage: she is completely
surrounded by a gigantic anti-tank ditch. Her colonies
are far away from the motherland and cannot therefore dissociate
themselves from it without exposing themselves to the
danger of falling into the grasp of someone else.
Unless we wish to remain dependent upon river traffic, with
all the disadvantages that are inherent in it, we must construct
a vast railway system in the Eastern territories. We were wrong
to have regarded the canal system as a rival of the railway; it
never was and never will be. A really first-class network of
canals joining us up with the river Don would, nevertheless, be
of great value. But even this would have the disadvantage that
for six months in the year it would for the most part be icebound.
All in all, there is no doubt—particularly when the
immense cost of canal construction is taken into consideration—
that a really comprehensive railway system is by far the more
advantageous.
But the Danube will one day become one of the greatest of
our traffic arteries; connected as it is with the Main and the
Oder, it will carry goods direct into the heart of the country.
Through the Black Sea and up the Danube will come iron,
manganese ore, coal, oil, wheat—all in an unending stream.
The Black Sea territories open immense potentialities for the
future. We must make sure that we do not assume the rôle of
permanent guardians of the peace in the Danube basin, but
rather that of permanent referee; and for each decision which
we give, we must receive our little fee !
The Viennese regard Belgrade as a species of distant suburb.
"Every century," they say, "we have to capture the place at
least three times—and each time we give it back again."
301 27th August 1942, midday
The threat of invasion—Spain and the Latin bloc—Naval
warfare.
It is essential to have a clear understanding both of the
economic objective which inspires the launching of an offensive,
and of the economic effect it would produce if successful. My
primary preoccupation was the possibility of an offensive against