THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER), 1041.
CHINA MAIL
WINDSOR HOUSE
THE LATTER END
The great battle for Russia perhaps the fiercest the world has ever known-shows, after nearly thirteen weeks of constant warfare, no ad- minution in intensity. Having failed to sub- jugate Russia "according to plan," that is, within the first month of the at- tack, Hitler finds himself faced with the need for obtaining adequate win- ter quarters, where he can hope to consolidate himself and prepare for a further effort to subju- gate the Soviet Union in the spring. Leningrad and Kiev are, therefore, vital to him and the strength of his attacks on the Rus- sian positions in these sectors is evidence of his supreme need to capture them before the heavy snow storms of winter make intense warfare impossible.
The Soviet forces are defending the approaches to these two key positions with a tenacity that is lit- tle short of marvellous.
TYPHOON
A Belgian's War-Aims:
supreme
common guarantee of sary to understand what kind of European Powers.
the
In spite of that she was attack-
By Louis De Brouckere
M
General Timoshenko is OUGHT we to concern ourscives national guarantee than in the Geneva, too, must profit by the' here And now with war-Low Countries, where so many stern lesson of facts. I cannot de- assisting by his remark-alms? 1 fully appreciate the rea-highways
cross, where
human velop that thesis here at the close able come back in the soning of those who refuse to re-activity is so intense, and on of an article. I must be content cognise any other war-aim than which so many envious eyes are with indicating briefly two of the central sector. He
Is the winning of the war, and who cast. But what guarantee will be indispensable conditions
of suc- thus engaging forces that want to see concrete conditions definite enough," and what form ecss. The required union must created by victory before commit-of organisation will ensure its ef- be assured of the active coopera- might otherwise be
reting themselves to the conditions fective operation? Events in the tion of all the major democracies, leased to augment the of peace.
last quarter of a century have that of the United States being: None the less, since peace re- thrown much valuable light on particularly essential. We Бее attacks on the two ends mains the
objectivo those questions.
more clearly every day what of the line. It is indeed without which everything else Belgium lived originally under American assistance in the war is What might the. star- meaning. more than probable that would be meaningless, it is neces-the
spangled Republic! not have of the German High Com- peace we are fighting for, if such
fected for the preservation of (peace if it had understood in -time mand has already with- agonising sacrifices are to be ac- cepted with eyes open. For the
that its frontier is on the Rhine! drawn as many men as peace of to-morrow will be what
It is necessary, too, imperatively possible without unduly inspired by the same ideas.
the war has made it. It will be
necessary, that cooperation should be organised on the basis of a so- weakening this portion of
When Hitler is cynically en-
ciety of equals. I do not mean by that the States of every varying! their defences.
slaving his partner Italy, he is
magnitude must command the with a sinister logic preparing
same votes that indeed would Whatever may be the that country's "peace" in the ed by two of her guarantors in
create flagrant inequality-but, outcome of the battle, it framework of the general enslave-1914, and, though she was loyally
simply that the citizens of every In the same way, if the defended, and enabled thus to re- is clear that Hitler has Allies are to
achieve, later on, gain her liberty in the end, the State must have the same oppor- tunity of exercising their legiti- none the less failed to failed. It has been said that general cooperation in the system
influence over the discus- either the invasion
of mate which can alone prevent that he lost the war save civilisation, a logical neces my country or general war. In 1925 sions of the society, and find the
protection for 'when he failed to invade sity no less implacable demands Locarno brought us a whole col-same
that they shall practice forthwith lection of new guarantees, which peace and the same guarantee of their essential rights. Among these' Britain. If so, he has between themselves solidarity pe- there were good reasons for
than the old, latter one of the most essential is doubly lost it when he tween equals, generous and con- thinking stronger
fident, inspired by the same prin- Hitler, none the less, solemnly re-unquestionably the right to na failed to occupy Moscow ciples and expressed by similar pudiated the engagements which tional independence, that is to say before the winter. With methods. We shall achieve suc- he had no less solemnly contract-the right for each State to re cessfully to-zporrow only what ed. Since then what remained of Eulate its own life freely in the Moscow still immune Hit-we are already sketching out to the system has disintegrated pro- organised world with the same individual citizen liberty as the the
ment.
cause of right
stand in greater need of an Inter
their own
ler cannot present his day, and the noblest dreams will gressively. I simply, record
remain sterile unless our action fact, without seeking for the mo-enjoys within each State. intended peace terms to to-day is inspired by them. ment to allot responsibility.
The passion for this right-runs! Stalin. He is thus defeat-
Belgium after that obtained two strongly in the world. It is felt There reflections embolden me éd, not only in the field to present the observations which distinct guarantees, one given by as ardently by peoples whom his- follow. My country, Belgium, can France and the United Kingdom;tory has made small as by the but also diplomatically. It play only a very limited role in the other by Germany. Then the most populous. I have tried to is probable that his attack this conflict, but a certain role history of 1914 was repeated. This demonstrate that by the example she is called on to play, none the time once more victory will de- of Belgium, but actually we are on Russia in the first, less. She has rights to defend and liver us, but war, has not been dealing with a fact which is com
pletely universal--and very for- place was undertaken be- duties to perform like the greatest avoided.
tunate. The desire for indepen- States in the world. There are After her renunciation at dence must grow still stronger in cause he realised he was many reasons why my participa Locarno Belgium sought a new proportion as the international already defeated in the ion in the discussion should be security in the tightening of the solidarity of which it is the es- modest, but I claim at least that bonds which already united a sential counterpart develops. For West. With a broken It is not misplaced.
certain number of small. Western how in a united world would it Russia under his sway, he Nowhere in the world, without States. It is needless to dwell on be possible without it to preserve could then have present question, do freedom and peace the fundamental impotence of the that diversity, that upsurge of in-
Oslo Pact to preserve either gen-dividual and group originality. ed terms to Britain and
eral peace or the peace of its without which there can be no member-States. There is not, intelligent life? If it were neces America which might
imagine, a single reasonable Belsary to demonstrate the possibility have proved difficult to jac, he will continue gian who is not convinced of that of securing the co-existence in a reject. He has thrown to destroy and pillage try has been through. No form of magnitude, equally free and after the experiences my coun» single -union of States of every the dice and lost and to- until he is overpowered, regional union could by itself equally respected, and demonstrate this day, as a result, is facing the final destruction of guarantee Belgian pence effective further how invaluable
ly or prevent the recurrence of a co-existente is, it woulds defeat both on the East- Hitler and Nazism is be-world catastrophe. Belgian peace be sufficient to point to the extm= ern and the Western coming more evident not could only be firmly based with ple of the British Commonwealth,
in a universal police-systein:
whose strength is so vastly in-. fronts. He is being slowly only to those who feared But it is basuredly hot enough creased by the complete equality but surely crushed even him most but also to that a peace-system should be of rights which exists within it universal still less that it should between all those who enjoy Don should Kiev and Lenin- those who anticipated be nominally universal, to prove minion status. But, let me hasteni grad fall and though his that his victory would itself completely effective. Wit to add, the rights of small hallobs ness the League of Nations. Imply corresponding duties. It is final overthrow may take gain them advantages Experience has proved the exact by the full discharge of their some considerable time which, alone, they could value of the Geneva institution duties during war that they may because, like every man- not hope to obtain.
and has proved equally Its Thibuf- ficiency.
be assured of the plenitude of their rights in peace.