Berlin Diary: The Journal of a Foreign Correspondent 1934-41

by William L. Shirer

The same newspapers which have now begun to chronicle with glee the “reprisal” attacks on the centre of London town and which, to show the success of the “reprisals,” published British figures telling of the thousands of civilians, including hundreds of children, killed by German bombs, today are filled with righteous indignation against the British for allegedly doing the same thing to Germans. Some of the headlines tonight: Nachtausgabe: “NIGHT CRIME OF BRITISH AGAINST 21 GERMAN CHILDREN—THIS BLOODY ACT CRIES FOR REVENGE.” Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung: “MURDER OF CHILDREN AT BETHEL; REVOLTING CRIME.” B.Z. am Mittag: “ASSASSINS’ MURDER IS NO LONGER WAR, HERR WINSTON CHURCHILL!—THE BRITISH ISLAND OF MURDERERS WILL HAVE TO TAKE THE CONSEQUENCES OF ITS MALICIOUS BOMBINGS.”