THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 15, 1939
The Spirit Behind The Machine
Hitler Daunted By Power
since Britain's
THIRTEEN weeks have elapsed
declaration of War. Yet though there have been no large-scale war operations, there have been engagements on sea, on land and in the air. Precious lives have been lost. Serious material damage has been done. But the great mass attack which most peo- ple thought would take place has not begun.
Of The Allies
over the Siegfried Line, but far be- yond, to the north and 'to the south. The British Expeditionary Force is in position, far better equipped than the B.E.F. was 25 years ago. The Navy has been more successful, despite sad losses, during the past nine weeks, than it was in the first nine months of the last great war.
The fundamental reason is that the enemy has been daunted by the power of the Allies. He realises now what is facing him. Drunk with the A quarter of a century ago the success he had achieved in the past, enemy was on the attack. Britain, Hitler was convinced that he could France and Belgium were on the de- repeat his acts of aggression. But fensive. To-day, the enemy is held. the limit had been reached when, There have been magnificent ex- flushed with previous victories and ploits in the air and on the sea. But despite the solemn warnings of there has been nothing spectacular Britain and France, he marched in to Poland.
War began-not about Poland it self, though the Allies will stand by that gallant people who are tem- porarily crushed beneath the weight of metal and superior numbers. War began because aggression had reached its limit.
Over two months have gone by, and I compare the situation now with what it was in the early stages of the last Great War. French troops have invaded Germany. British aero- planes have made flights, not only
INTELLIGENCE TEST
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on the grand scale. Yet steady pre- paration and organisation proceeds. As the hours and the days, the Allies grow stronger. Hitler, ill-advised by Ribbentrop as to the temper of the British people and their deter- mination to resist any attack on their liberties, is now desperate and disillusioned. Our power grows. Hitler's power has begun to evapor- ate.
His spiritual and material re- sources shrink as time passes. He knows that he is facing disaster.
Not only Right, but Time is on the side of the Allies. The plans which are maturing, the terrible pressure which is developing, *are not spectacular and dramatic. They cannot be filmed or shown in pic- tures in the papers. Nevertheless they are real, are the measure of our war strength.
he thought. The President's guard apparently did the trick, but, thank But that is not to say that we the Lord that Douglas was sober!" should be self-satisfied. Complacency "That is so," put in the officer. is not the mood for wartime. It is, "They found the three ruffians waiting of course, a tremendous taşk to in the porch of San Jose, with a clear change over from peace to war con- get-away through the sacristy door atditions. The transformation of the the back ready for use when the bomb had been thrown."
nation's life with its millions of ad- justments cannot be completed with- out delays and without mistakes.
"But this plot you overheard," ex- claimed the chief of police, who had been listening with rising exaspera-
We cannot close our eyes to the tion. "You took an outrageous risk. fact that though enormous prepara- Why did you not send word to the Bri-tions have been made and carried tish Consul to tell me of it? The Pre- sident's safety is my responsibility, not your's. He might have been killed through this meddling."
"And if I had," said Sanderson calmly, "what would you have done?" "Come straight back here,- of course. Do you take me for a fool, señor?"
The Englishman grinned at the other's indignation.
"I thought you would, and I there- fore used my intelligence, of which you entertained the gravest doubts, I understand. And I assure you that after to-day's plot the death of the President could easily have been con- trived."
"After to-day's plot?" echoed Spaniard in bewilderment.
the
"Exactly," said Sanderson. "You sce, Senor, you do not fully understand. It was not the President the bomb was meant for this time."
"Not the President?"
"Oh, no, senor. It was meant-for you! And now what about my intel- ligence?"
:
+
"Caramba!" exclaimed the chief of police. "But for you!"
He pushed a box of cigars towards San- derson.
"I can protect the President," he said with a smile, "but who is to pro- tect me? Senor Sanderson, this office is more comfortable than your cell. Help yourself, amigo mio."
in
through, Britain is not yet, as а nation, as fully keyed up to its responsibilities as is necessary order to exercise its maximum pow er in the shortest space of time.
Nor are we, it seems to me, using our human resources to the best ad- vantage. I am a believer in public control, but some of the controls which have been initiated have not in all cases utilised the brains and experience of practical people. They have tended to become bureaucratic.
We have not as yet tackled pro- blems of fundamental reorganisa- tion. The State has taken enormous powers, some of which it is using intelligently, but others with less intelligence.
of
In spite of the determination the vast majority of our people, to see this struggle through to a suc- cessful issue, there are some whose prejudices and interests stand in the way of complete national mobilisa- tion. But it is clear that private in- terests must be completely subor- dinated to the public wellbeing.
New ways must be found to face new tasks. The centralised authority of the Dictator must be met by the full national organisation of a free people.
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Again, we have been allowing the young life of the nation to run to waste. It is true that education pre- sents difficulties in war time.
But it is obviously criminal folly and We are not making rapid headway shortsightedness to close the doors in these directions. We have taken of our schools against the child popu- certain steps to deal with profiteer- lation. ing, it is true; but nothing short of the organisation under public aus- pices of the key industries and ser- vices will meet the situation.
Nor are we facing with courage the human problems of the war. In. the last resort it is always human
By the Rt. Hon.
ARTHUR GREENWOOD,
These criticisms of our shortcom- ings are not born of a carping spirit. They are made with a desire effort. improve the quality of the national
to
our
Whilst we can take pride in achievements, we ought not to be blind to the things we have not done which we ought to have done.
This war is not the Government's war. It is the people's war. They
Deputy Leader Of The do not want to waste their
Opposition in the
House of Commons
power which tells. The most vital element to-day is the morale of the people. It is essential that every possible step should be taken to maintain their spirit.
own
lives and the lives of their children. They pray that it will be quickly ended, and that permanent peace will bę established. But to achieve this end, there must be concentration of national power to serve the nation's ends.
There must be that efficiency of organisation which is necessary to Take, for example, the question Hitler. But behind
thwart the centralised power of of old age pensions. There is a wide- there must be the all-powerful spirit the machine, spread demand in the country that of a determined people.
That spirit exists. We
the lot of the pensioners should be cases they are suffering privation. Their plight is a source of unhappi- do everything in our power ness to their relations and friends. tify it. improved. In large numbers of
7
must all to for-
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