CHINA MAIL Britain: A Rallying-
WINDSOR HOUSE
THE NAZI WAY
The notion that defence of the "American way" begins only at "the
Ground
For
Attack
own liberty other Dominions of the. British
water's edge" still immo-IN these days of autumn beauty militant cause which must grow, only to keep her
and tragic human struggle} in order to live and must pre-afloat, but also to raise and sal- Commonwealth.
bilises too large a body of public opinion in the United States. Some day, and the sooner the better, Americans will awake to
The idea of the stern defensive implications of Nazi mili-is an old idea in Britain's national comfort and company
history and literature. To fight
those in Great Britain naturally serve itself, by expansion. She is vage the liberties elsewhere which or for the moment are wrecked and think and speak of their "island not fighting for an insular fortress" and of their duty of limited Iberty: she is fighting for sunk. In this cause altruism is, "holding out" to the uttermost le general, a continental, we may and has always been, in her own
occumenical liberty, best interest behind the white cliffs which are even say an
which is far broader than her shores, and will ensure her the of other
Its walls.
against any odds, howover great, and to stand tenaciously even un-
der the darkest sky, is a favourite theme of Anglo-Saxon literature
tary success which are now only vaguely felt by many.
Το understand
a literature, by the way, which the
is too often forgotten or neglected, "Nazi way" one need only for it has in its themes and spirit the inmost essence of watch the methods by some of
Britain's permanent national tem- which the "new order" is per. But this "Anglo-Saxon tena- Britain's enemies imposed on much of Eu-city," as even
have called it is not the whole, rope, including countries or even the major part of the which have not even been quality needed to-day. To hold out in an island fortress is indeed invaded by Nazi armies. a matter of stubborn gallantry, The "Christian Science Monitor's" Rome corres- pondent reports that among the various aims by which the Axis Powers would re-order Europe are (1) disarmament of the Danube States to a point where resistance to the "new order" would be im- possible for them, and (2) the revamping of their governments along totali- tarian lines to make pos- sible the "cooperation" which the dictators de- mand.
What this means to the peoples in countries which come under the "new or- der" is tragically illustrat- ed in France. The French now have a totalitarian government. Even a pleb- iscite after the event
will not express the will of free Frenchmen. For the French people have been, for the moment at least, deprived of the wea- pons of freedom. Who will debate the questions to be voted on in a plebis- cite?
By Prof.
talk of an
Ernest Barker they sally
Dr. Barker, holder of high degrees in literature at Oxford and Cambridge, Universities, is one of Britain's most lucid political thinkers,
free states to aid her in the en- joyment of her own liberty. The cause of liberty is a generous
island
out lo
fortress,
the
AND so, if Britons continue to they must remember that it is not a fortress into which they retire, but a fortress from which
reduce enemy and to spread the con- quests of liberty. Fortresses, in old days (the days, for example, of the Crusades) were not only or indeed primarily. built for defence: they were built as van- tage-grounds for attack and ad- vanced posts for the purpose of sallies. Britons are living in the age of a new Crusada Crusade for the vindication of the liberty
Secret, measures. are being taken by the Admiralty to combat Hitler's-“Night Hawka”—Ger- many's new motor-torpedo.boats which have been, active in the Channel and it is belleved that counter measures are, ready. It was only recently that a colitary. British.mator-torpedo iboat hunt-.. ed Sax of Germany's® M.T.B/s.out of the Channel. Photo shows a German-motoritorpedo-boat at speed. (Copyright, Fox).
emotion,
the
the
As they see. the matter, not the island alone is at stake: their fortune and their freedom are also and equally engaged. Nor is it an exaggeration-It is only sober.truth-to say that the issue goes further still. It also involves the great Empire of India, in its gradual development, under British flag of freedom, towards inspiration and shelter of
the goal of self-government: it also involves the African colonies, which have also begun to grow, by the method and practice of indirect rule, towards the 'handl ing of their own affairs through their own native authorities. For the British Commonwealth been. and is, and one cannot bût believe that it will continue to be, a school and a home of liber- ty in all its parts and the whole of its extent--not only in its Dominions, even if they
stand
has
in the forefront on free self-gov- ernment, but also among that fifth of the human race which is called India, through all its far- flung colonies.
14
'
A GREAT partnership of free- dom stands around the is- land; and the soldiers of this partnership-soldiers who come from the American continent and from the far Southern Hemis phere-stand by. Britannia's side in defence of a cause which is theirs as well as hers.
If therefore, men speak of the 'island fortress' and of *holding cut in that fortress, they also think, and also speak, of the lar- ger and broader and deeper signi- ficance of the struggle. This for- tress is more than a fortress. It is also two other things. It is, in the first place, a vantage ground and an advanced post from which Britons cah go forth, and carry out their cause, for the general advantage and the general victory of freedom every where. It is, in the second place, n.great and a general-rallying- ground, for all who are on Bri-· fain's side, and who stand with her because they stand for them. -selves in standing-along with her. It is a rallying-ground twice over immediately for the peoples
of Europe who wish to redeem and enjoy their national liberty; but also and beyond that, for the peoples of the whole. British": Commonwealth 'who are partners in an old and generous tradition. A vantage ground which is also a rallying-ground, and which is but it is also, in its way, a'matter cause as generous as love, with of the human spirit-and they | the one because it is also the of a negative attitude. It is the a bounty as boundless and deep now plan to use the fortress of other that is the true position Internal divisions which stopping of something from being a cause of which it may truly Britain, as the old Crusaders used of Britain. It is a high and rather than the doing of be said, without any rhetoric or heir fortresses, in the way of a solemn privilege that Britain made Nazi military vic-something: it opens avista, long
vantage-ground or advanced post. should, thus be more than Bri- The more I give to thee, But indeed it is already being tain, and that her tory possible in France and indefinite, of not being beaten,
cause should The more I have, for both are used in that way, and used not matter, as it matters to-day, not are being exploited by the but it shows
.positive end which can stir the
.infinite.
only by the British people (in only to herself but also to Europe, Nazis. in other countries mind with a sense of accomplish- British liberty would be a poor the sense of the people who ac- and a world beyond Europe.
and imperfect thing without -sur- tually live in Britain), but also ment and fruition. where their military
rounding and encompassing Tiber- by other peoples. Britain has the forces have never set foot.
ties the liberty of France and honour, in this hour, of. not stand- Belgium and Holland and Noring alone, but of having with As in France, so in the
even further her a company of friends. That. Balkan States, are groups BRITAIN is called to-day to way: the liberty,
is company would not be there if something, greater than hold-field (for Europe at large who believe their interests ing out. She is called to the Britain's neighbour), of Poland she was merely an island fortress
Czechoslovakia. Liberty to be defended. They are there! carry'ng on of a good caust, and will be served by the ex-which is the cause of liberty, and can never be isolated or parcel because she is, and so long as the vantage-ground.
no conclusive and
?
*
tension of the Nazi way. the expansion in liberty, of man's led, or treated as a national com- she remains
unconquerable mind; and not only modity to be preserved by mea- for a great crusade to redeem the
It cause of liberty.
CONSIDER who are gathered;
in that island, and how their gathering upon it lifts up the
Sometimes these are
so, but she is also called to thesures of national protection. groups of the extreme carrying out of the cause, beyond is a common good to be shared The more Britain .the "left," sometimes of the her own. hores, into Europe and in common.
even beyond, as a moving and shares liberty with others,
hetter dors she defend her “right." They include
liberty. persons who seek the es- tablishment of socialism silenced by censorship im- by a short cut, the dicta-posed from within, but THAT is an old lesson of Bri- cause, away and beyond, the sim- tish history, Britain has de- ple cause of the defence of an tor method. They include exploited from without fended Ilberty in centuries he-island fortress. There are French- others who seek safe- Even in the United fore the twentieth, and against men who will not despair of the enemies other than Germany. Republic: there are. Poles and guards against discon- States there are groups she detended it against Spain in Norwegians: there are Dutch and tented elements of their and individuals who the era of the Reformation: she Belgians. The soil is the bond own populations.
imagine their interests lie defended it against France in the and the rallying ground of many days of Napoleon. But she has European countries; and if there. Nazi military successes in the application of in- always defended liberty by seek should be battle upon it, that enhance the prestige of creasingly authoritarian ing to extend it, because she al- battle will be more than a battle only of Britain--it will be a battles of ways knew that she was such groups wherever concepts of government. truly free when others were also Europe and a war for the free-
free. She fought for Holland dom of Europe. they exist, and increase Should. Nazism break against Philip II, as well as for
Indeed, it will be even more.. the power of these groups down the last resistance herself; she fought for Spain as
well as for England, when she than that: it will be.a.battle that: to gain their ends through to it in Europe its influ-fought against Napoleon. Hoes beyond Europe, and involves terrorism. Thus the rule ence could no longer be tradition (but there is no "If continents and another hamis over majorities by minori- confined to Europe. Its about the matter, for she will phere For British soil is a bonçi ties is extended, and the intrigues already are felt certainly be true), she will and a rallying ground not only fight this year, and next, and as for European countries, but also voice of the peoples is in Latin America.
long as there is need to fight, not for Canada and Australla..and the D5P 'ucalopas day to red p
If Britain is true to her old the freedom of peoples in other
On('board cone of the Ger man motor-torpedo-boats.
(Copyright,,Fax),