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THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY. 26, 1941.
CHINA MAIL The
"WINDSOR HOUSE
WHEN HITLER THREATENS
In trying to compare the pre- sent situation with that in Sep- tember, 1939, one is struck by three large and obvious facts, no one of which
has produced the consequences which might have been expected. The overthrow of a huge and government with majority apparently unshakable in the House of Commons and the
Inside Germany or out- side, no one in the world
instalment as Prime Minister of a member who was the expects truth from Adolf private
leader of no party and had scarce- Hitler. For eight years he ly even a firm group behind him, instead of producing violent con- has wielded absolute pow-flicts and convulsions, has led to universal satisfaction and national
me-
disaster
"
er over a people whose unity. A year of almost unmixed
including one reverses, voice is submerged, as it which the world in general con- sidered absolutely fatal to Our was on Monday at the
caise, instead of discouraging Beer Cellar
Great Britain, has left the nation by the
more confident and full of fight And, so far as 1 can chanical clamour of
the than ever
judge, the mcreased sufferings of Party clique. In all that pulation under the brutal
Ties of "totalitarian war." so far time there is not a single to engendering any faltering or į resolve or any wild za cuisses of precedent to prove that, has merely left our own
populations, as the Prime Mins he will either keep a pro-ter puts it. "gumi and gay.
As for the change in the govern- mise or fulfill a threat. If ment, from the time when Mr
Churchill became leader of the there is any guarantee in nation He has shown new quaht- tres of greatness which he had his record, in fact, it is peps had no opportunity of
-how ang beroar. He is far mo that the one thing he will than a great nighter; and the coun- not do is the thing he says mespective of party feels it. England delights in his dogged courage and feels his frank good
oratny, and is proud of his mag- nanimity. He is just the man DE win again for England the testi- monial which Napoleon gave her. "the most consistent, the inost im-
iny enemies."
he will do. For eight years,
he has been the sole and uncontradicted spokes- man for Germany and to-day the word of Ger- and the must generous of many is worthless.
As for the war itself, the effert of the Petain collapse everywher" but in England was catastrophic
181
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¦
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Second Year
ger serious, our relations with our, closer and closer cooperation wither of the world has long been one great ally shattered. Yet we us both in material help and in greater than it can use; If we ourselves had never been con-political sympathy. The Canadian could imagine it used according selous of defcat. No doubt we had American Alliance, the Anglo- to some reasonably public-spirit- made a muddle in Norway, and American naval beses, the Afty ed plan, without nationalistie the destruction of our allies had destroyers and the host of volun maladjustments, it could in very. corapelled us to retreat in Finn-teers, represent a diplomatic gain | few years make the wealth of the; ders, but we had always held our which more than outweighs the human race far greater than it ! own in the actual fighting. Our almost unrelieved ill-success of has ever been, Nevertheless, the
our diplomacy in Europe.
period of disorder and impoverish← Meantime the new Axis Pactment which is sure to intervene has done much to clarify
will bring great dangers. It may.... meaning of the whole conflict. A lead to ruinous revolutions. It. predatory bargain between three may, even without that, produce. lawless aggressors to
an equally deadly result; the Jes- truction of the cultured Middle Class, on whom so much of the moral and intellectual guidance of a nation depends. It is the ruin of that class in Germany which made the brutalities of the Nazis pos- sible.
By- Gilbert Murray
man,
The invasion,
Us
Worsc
#
recent
the
conquer
|
three continents and divide the from Dunkirk spoil inevitably makes the rest of armies returned with the conviction that, nan for the world their enemy. Not be
they "were better then cause we are Capitalists, or Con- Jeny." The rescue of those 350,000 |servatives, or Democrats, or So- men seemed to Europe admission cialists or Liberal idealists or even of defeat, a defeat which was just | Christians; not because of any saved from being absolutely fatal: particular creed cr prejudice o Again, the prospect of economir but our people felt it as a victory, ["idealogy," but simply because we recovery depends abrolutely on The daring of the multitudes of are human beings. We do not want the wisdom of economic policy in small boats manned by civilian to be conquered, robbed of our nations which have not been re- volunteers roused the enthusiasm possessions, privileges, liberties, of markable for it of late, especial- the average man more than all that we value most among the ly Great Britain, the Dominions, many a purely military victory.slow achievements of civilisation, and the United States. Every No doubt, he felt, we had had Besides, the present aggressors economist knows that, to avoid shocking misfortunes, but still we have not merely shown the ordin- ruin, they must learn both to plan had never been beaten. Moreoverary and inevitable vices of aggres- and to cooperate, with some de- we still held the sea, more strong-sive powers. They have made a gree of unselfish public spirit. | ly than at the opening of the war. | religion of their aggressiveness. The war will drive the lesson
We had to make sure that th: They have ransacked history for home, but may at the same time. French Fleet was not going to be crimes and inhumanities which exasperate passions which will hunded ‹ ver to the enemy; a pain- they can quote as precedents. They paralyse all reason. The Economic ful business, in which the unrea- have developed to its logical ex- Committee of the League of Na- sonableness was certainly not on
trome the theory of totalitarian|tions is, I believe, studying the oth side: but when once that was war. Conquest is the supreme pur-problem of planning on a world lover, we could breathe again. pose. War the supreme method.scale in the interest of the whole, There remained the threats of It seems to me little better than That is the only true way, if we
oudinary unin-triviality to say that we are fight. have the wisdom to follow it. structed Englishman knew of theseg for any of the conflicting-ism3 Of the moral salvage it is dim- fellowship; it enjoys his majestie the led fiskmati them. They or for "New Order" or an Econc-cult to speak, partly because of had been defeated before. Besides, mix. Revolution or the like. We the diametrically opposite views I while the enemy hesitated,
so publicly and we shall have no doubt to create a
confidently ex made our preparations stronger New Order, but we did not go to pressed by writers of different
and were not really than ver
war for any such purpose. We schools. Most thoughtful people afraid 1 invasion,
went to war to save ourselves and regard war as, in itself, a mon- What we did fear was the Gar-
the rest of the civilised world from strous crime, and as leading to all inan Air Force. Originally perhaps
the triumph of organised crime, sorts of moral disorder. Yet the three times as numerous as ours, aud we are fighting now for average man in
his romanti | 11 was now increased by the everything that man holds sacred. moods speaks of it as a school of
whole Italian force and by many
But can we in any case save it? heroism, of brotherhood, of self- Thus when Hitler pro- The only anti-German army machines from France. The odds "One more war in the west," said sacrifice for an ideal, Similarly the
Europe had surrendered. The land agaiusi
Prime Minister, were terrific.
"and one set of critics emphasise the claims in a loud voice, it on Liveite, Egalite, Fraternite had still, by his possession of the the civilisation of ages will fall miseries caused by war; the other principles and Chunnel part: the enemy had only with as great a crash as that of points out the high spirits of the adopted turism. There was im
men in khaki, and note how often By 10 niles to
attack | Rome." Is that proving true? Or, opposition to Hitler left. either | Dover, and only 120 to bumb 201
as another Prime Minister is said some fierce and mortal combat in When he warns that material or intellectuad. For Eug-on, while we had to fly some 200 to have commented. do we find the clouds is described by the vie
land to continue fighting seemed to reach Cologne and anether 360 that "It could stand one or two, tur as "the happiest moment in "every ship that comes, mere foily, and crimmal folly before we could attack Berlin. And anyhow"? Let us try to face this my life."
problem coldly. The loss of life, We can all of us understand, within range of our tor- that. Of course Earope as a whole I thinks in terms ol lankt armies
as far as numbers go, is easily re-
and even sympathise with, both of these sentiments. The truth is pedoes will be torpedoed," and has never understood scu
paired. Within quite a few years power, "The English Channel an
after the last war, which was fol- that war is a reversion to the pri- his warning will have no obstacle Cid an intelligent Swiss
lowed by a still more destructive mitive. Its heroisin, its self-sacri- Fobsover: "Twenty iniles at water nich a the machines. There pestilence, the population of the flee, as well as its ferocities and influence on the decisions not at the length of the Lake of are troubles still betere us, but world was higher than in 1914. terrors, are all well within the the Blitzkiing of mass daylight In quality the case is not so plain: range of primitive man; one might the American Congress is
attacke which were meant to anni- Lo some extent war picks out in
atmost say within that of the de our An Force and clear the each country the brave and the higher gregarious carnivora.
A - now debating. There is pians in Europe To win again way for successful invasion end-strong. This war is ricking out tigress will die for her young.
the most civilised races.
Consequently it brings ed in disastrous failure. nothing new or startling any soil of confiance na suur powe
that thrill of The
financial economic and in this threat: the danger, Fitter, we had to start absolutely
losses will be gigantic but, again. from the thin weary plodding
easily repaired.
ways of reason inte the wide ut- that American ships:
Alantime en as ourselves th
after all can only destroy the har- trammelled rush of simple enio- would be sunk if used to these Pyent had been
vest of one year. Flocks and herd: tion, which naturally belongs to replenish themselves. As for capi- the primitive. This is what makes either to deliver war ma-¦ Halle different. No dould tie shia was ferofle, the mediate dan
tal goods, the manufacturing pow-it so infinitely dangerous.
When the period of intense strain is over one wonders how much will remain of the lugh spirit of daring and sacrifice; how widely it may be followed by ex- haustion, selfish weariness, and the callousness which is bred by familiarity with cruc and evil things. How far shall we find that standard has permanently, fallen, not only in things intellec tual but in the prosaic virtues of self-control, moderation, honesty, diligence and care for truth which form the base of a high civilisa- tion? Some such disturbances there is sure to be, and that at a time when the world will be in de::- perate need of all the wisdom it can muster.
is as if he had not spoken.d
terials or to convoy ship-: ments to Britain was pre-| sent in the American mind long before the dis- 'cussion of the lend-lease bill. Hitler completely misunderstands British psychology if he imagines! that this kind of talk will frighten us.
Nobody expects sistency
con-
from Hitler. Otherwise even the select- ed lot of cheer-leaders in; the Beer Cellar might wonder as they clapped, wildly at the announce- ment that with the Spring Herr Hitler's fancy light- ly turns to thoughts of shove. Though they may wonder why he trusta to providence and not to his own right arm. It is inter- esting too that he admit- ted it would be a trial of strength. As far as they have known until now, the Germans were fight- ing the obsolete democra- tic system, rotten to the ....core. He can blame no one but himself if his warnings have as little meaning: as his assur-
ancestors m
1
Genevat a mutor load can eles I
it in ball an hour." It is important
for the to realise this condition +
er to conquer, or
even to Test E
twenty
here
jos mírnele dappened. The amazing fuperiority of our own Air Forcs is a thing which no Jayman can understand; but which sems certainly to lie in the men
can be
It does not follow that our con- fidence is justified Many panful surprises may be in store for u
!! the confidence exists;
111 meantime, in place of the great ally we have lost, the greatest power in the world is moving lo
OFFICIAL BOW
SMITH YATES MAKES
AND NOW
MY CHICK
BE NICE To
HONGKONG
BUT IF YOU MUST EAT WE Enter to ππ
HIS
CAN'T BE HELPED!
HUMOUR
SATIRE
CRITICISM)
NEWSPAPE
ENTERPRISE
JIGES POLITICS
WITH MALICE: TOWARDS: NONE-
A war
the
with it release, o escape
The need will indeed be des- perate. One may well look for ward with comparative confidence as far as the Armistice which must close this war, but tremble at the prospect which will then open. We know in the main out- Jine what ought to be done. The nation of Europe must be set free but cannot be left in anarchy. No one power can be trusted to rule the rest; therefore there must be seme international authority strong enough to maintain the law and prevent resort to violence, and representative enough to inspiro confidence. If communities wish to live in peace they must live as good neighbours, and honest -citi- zens. The "Principles of the Covenant" remain, as the British Government stated in its last ad- dress to the League of Nations. Assembly, the only basis on which civilisation can be built.,The pro- blem is not whether they are true but simply how to make them of fective.
The eminent French historiams, Elie Halevy, once said to me in troubled period of our history that he saw in front of the British Empire five great problems; any one of which might well be fatal to an ordinary nation; but Eng- land, he thought, would evercomet them: