1941-02-25 — Page 23

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THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 25, 1941

Page T

CHINA MAIL The British-American

WINDSOR HOUSE

PETAIN'S DILEMMA

The continued attacks upon Marshal

Petain's

Connection

In the sixteenth century, as we have seen, the British struggle with Spain decided the very pos- sibility of the settlement of the United States by English-speak- ing men. In the next century, in the British struggle with Holland it was determined-that New York in our which led to the Monroe Doctrine, any other power which threaten-should be New York and not New Amsterdam. Beginning in 1039 there were man-controlled press of generation the American people the French invasion of Mexico, ed to invade the North Atlantic and ending in 1815

a the Civil War, about

the Venezuelan world.

fought a great series of wars be- .Paris, admittedly with war which Britain is fighting, and affair, the Spanish War. the first

tween Britain and France which Americans very much need to World War, the conflict in the FA 1 "The British-American connec-determined that Canada and the support

Berlin, from

understand why their country East and the Pacific, and now the plainly indicates the should be so deeply involved in second World War--in which our lion was founded about a hundred Mississippi Valley and New Eng- necessity, from the vic-the fate of Britain.

government by the Ger-

time

For the second

are greatly concerned

The accept- ed doctrines of international law

this view.

We

Com-

By WALTER LIPPMANN

every

inde-

their though they

years after Columbus discovered land and the West Indies should America-in fact, during the belong to the English-speaking reign of Queen Elizabeth-after peoples. In all those wars Ameri- tors' viewpoint, of bring-and the usual formulae of Ameri-

the triumph of British over Sp-cans participated-in what we call ish sea power in 1588. Before ain our history books, King Wil- ing further pressure

to can foreign policy do not help. For while in theory it is laid down

victory there was already a atliam's War, Queen Anne's War, the French bear upon that obstinate it all foreign pineers look alike

Spanish empire in the Amer.cas King George's War, soldier-statesman.

Peru. and Indian Wars, and the quasi- Evid-Americans and that with som

Britain, co-opera-extending from Florida to relations with do they have a special relation ently he is not taking the s, in practice they do not taketive or antagenstic, were not the But there were no English-speak-war with France.

They were not paramant and decisive considera- ing settlements. German medicine as will-,'

tion in American foreign policy, i begun until 1607 in the generation

after the naval victory

the have ingly as its compounders'

Twice they

proclamed

Because that must Surely, then, there

be English Channel, neutrality and twice, when Brit-

Thus, though Americans fought think he should; and he

am was in great peril. they have something wrong with the themynaval battle was not lost but was still holds the reins in un- pote to her support The ques-of our neutral indifference to Brit-won, the ocean highway was open- the British to win

fun which any sober citizen must am, and something very super-jed to the settlement of Virginia pendence in 1776, occupied France. The new ask himself is whether twice wecial in the talk that propagandist and of Massachusetts Bay by men fought them in 1812, though the Constitution he has de ve strayed from the trup doe-have suddenly and recently in who spoke English and read the two nations have quarreled dan- trie under the pressure of pro-vented the British-American con-English Bible and adhered to the gerously over many matters, yet as against all other European creed documents and

paganda, or whether the doctrine nection. A relation so profound English common law.

powers that have had designs on legalises his dictatorship. American indifference to the and so persistent and, in

this hemisphere or upon the con- fate of Britain is not contrary to practical test, so controlling usi

trol of the North Atlantic Ocean, He can dismiss. punish me real interests and, therefore, reflect enduring geographic, hus-)

They have since the beginning of actual practice of thetoric and political realities. and replace Ministers as to the

our history stood together. They Antulean nation. Are we misted he pleases. The consulta-

This is the origin of the Brit-stood together against Spain from by propaganda or DIC

ish-American connection thethe days of the Armada, through tive council with which he pelted by realities?

enmaun control of the North At-the negotiations which led to the has replaced Parliament.

Lantic which has insured the de-Monroe Doctrine, to the Spanish- In fact, the relationship is an

American War of 1898. They velopment of a common civilisa- can be counted upon to'

cient and is deep. Far from its

fion in the British Isles and in stood together against the France being the work of rerent propa - 1 North America. Ever since

of Louis XIV, of Louis XV, this -do precisely what he tells

If 1915 had been the first time gandists, the British-American

beginning the Englishspeaking Napoleon 1. and, when in it to do. Berlin, obvious-

only the serund connection is a continual develop- 1941 werv

peuples on both shores of the they did not at first ly, is uneasy as to how he time we were involved in

end gether, Napoleon 111 invaded and a greatment since the end of the six- British war, a plausible case night|teenth century-since the defeat North Atlantic have in the will use his power.

expet conquered Mexico. They stood to- always stood together to the perhaps be made out for the idea of the Spanish Armada gave

ether military powers from

this gether against the European al- the that the British-American conner-¡ English-speaking men

liance of Prussia, Russia, Austria egion, to defend it against

the Central The argument advanc-tion is the work of propagandists. trol of the North Atlantic O

entrance of any other military and France, against il half,

European alliance under the Kai- power. ed in Vichy to make such the fact is that while Ameri- For three centuries and

cans have quite easily remained since the generation just before the

ser Willian II and now they are a situation palatable is petrol in most wars-for exam- | English-speaking settlers began

again standing together-against Franco-to come to this continent. the

war Therefore, in every

be-the Nazi empire of Adolf Hitler. that a Petain dictatorship Prussian, the Sino-Japanese, the ocean between the British Isles tween Britain and any European

Is it conceivable that this his- will be of great advantage Russo-Japanese, and the Balkan and North America has been held power secking the domination of

there has never been c by English-speaking men. This Europe und of the ocean highways | tory of more than three centur- în negotiating the peace great war between Britain and has meant that on both sides of to the rest of the world. Ameri-ies is the work of clever propa- terms which ultimately the dominant power of Continen- the en, regardless of political cans have participated. For, con- gandists and warmongers?

evident will end the present arm-did not participate. Moreover. tion established itself, andt it country, 1917 was not the first American connection could not be istice, but apparently that there has never been serious has meant that, whatever the dif- American participation in Europe so persistent if it were not always

very serious can affairs; the truth is that there renewed by the compulsion does not satisfy the Gerations--the so-called quasi-war among the English-speaking peo- has never been a great British war geography and by the ties of an mans. They probably be-with France, the Louisiana crisis ples. Their common interest has in Europe, and there have been indissoluble and irreversible his- they many in which America was not tory? Can any small and super- gin to realise that there with Napoleon, the War of 1812, been so fundamental that

the crisis of the Grand Alliance have always stood together against involved;

rial explanation account for the fact that the English-speaking peoples in the North Atlantic, whatever their differences among themselves, have always stood to- gether when there was any ser- ious threat from any other quar- ter?

and

ple. the

wars

Crimean, The

con-

Deem

the

Americans forms, the same kind of civilisa-trary to the general belief in this not tal Europe in which

Fists in American

#

references-often foreign

'Planes For

England

an

that

the

of

1859 stand to-

Is it British-

of

what

are two sides to that view. If Petain should demon- strate that he will act in consonance with a public opinion to be sensed rath- er than expressed, he will be strong; if he intends Bombers, bombers, bombers! Hence, one will hear more soon, the Ball Airacuda pursuit types about the four-engine flying boats apparently depends in large part to force upon his people a All the talk about American air- of the PBY series which are al-on engine production, particularly

with Ger- craft production cooperation

for England ready being delivered in some production of the relatively new

What we see to-day is On stems to centre around bombing numbers by the Consolidated Air-liquid-cooled Allison engine the British and the Americans many antagonistic to planes rather than pursuit ships. craft Company of San Diego, which the General Motors plant have always in the end been com- their every instinct, the The layman is inclined to inquire, Calif., either by way of Bermuda of Indianapolis has teached

pelled to see-that both must sur- why. It would scem that the

or over the North Atlantic. As the output of around 300 a month.

vive and be strong or neither can peace thus attained will smaller, faster fighters are what fogs lift in the spring, the ten-

be truly secure and independent. endure only so long as

is needed to keep bombers off hour northern route from New-

When the British and the Ameri- Britain, and these could be turn-, foundland will become more and there are sufficient Ger- ed out more rapidly.

cans have seen this truth clearly, more usable. By May It is expect-

profited immensely; man bayonets to uphold

larger and longer both have

of high- when they have lost sight of it suffered it. Nevertheless they still

borsepower aviation engines in temporarily, they have hope to use the Marshal,

the United States is in the air-seriously. They saw the truth if they can.

cooled types, with Wright Aero- clearly in the first phase of Napo- nautical and Pratt & Whitney as leon and we obtained Louisiana. the principal manufacturers. Each They saw it clearly in the Can- has a current output in the neigh- ning-Rush negotiations and Latin bourhood of 1,000 motors a month, America was guaranteed its inde- with additional facilitics under pendence. The British did not. construction.

see it clearly in 1859, and Louis Napoleon was permitted to invade Within four or five months the Mexico; they did not at first see' War Packard Motor Car Company ex-it clearly during our Civil pects to be in production with its and the British ruling class very edition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin nearly connived at the destruc- engine. Shortly afterward Henry tlon of the Union. They saw it Ford will be turning out some of clearly in 1898 and stood between the 14,000 Pratt & Whitney-type us and the intervention of Ger- ·

But from talks with technicians

The much

and military men several reasons By Tully Nettleton established production

Arst place, the British with their

for the procedure appear. In the

decentralised plants

are

In the field of medium or dive

are almosted that the Boeing Company of cockily confident of their ability Seattle will be in production with to turn out, even under fire, the its "ying fortress." The touchstone of his Hurricanes, Spitfires or other pur-

suit types. Moreover, they

Thus far the American 'plane intentions, as the Ger-

close enough to be able to adopt most heard from in English use is

• mans see it, is what he in- most quickly any changes of de- the Lockheed-Hudson, not pri- tends to do about Laval. It sign und armament which combat marily a combat 'plane but a re- experience shows to be needed.

connaissance or patrol 'plune of is still insisted that Laval

great maneuvreability and use- Comparatively speaking, the de-

this fulness. A new model of must return to the Cab-sign for bombers is more settled, plane is on the way. inet in some capacity; more like the construction of the large passenger transport 'planes otherwise further negotia- in which American builders have tions with Germany will dotre exceedingly well, and apt to bombers, called "attack" 'planes engines which he has contracted many on the side of Spain. In be able to make use of the moss by the American Army, the Bri- to build for the War Department, 1917, but only when the situation bog down in hopeless production facilities of the Ameri-tish are receiving supplies of the and within the year Buick also was grave, we saw that the sur- Douglas DB-7 and Martin 167, will be producing Pratt & Whit-vival of Britain was an American deadlock. But Berlin can motorcar industry.

both ordered originally by theney engines and Studebaker will interest. In 1941 once more, but wants more than that. It

Finally, the large bomber types French. The factorles reportedly be building Wright engines.

again, slowly, dimly and tardily, seems to be insisting up bombers have enough fuel capacity of each of these models, in addi-

we see that the survival of Brit and even some of the medium are turning out about three a day

Actually the total reported pro-ain Is an American interest.

The testimony of experience is power to this man whom being flown across the Atlantic to pany. will eventually have

the lighting zone, whereas the production of its new plant and which forecasts deliveries of 1,500 all France, and the out-pursuit 'planes, being built for re- Martin will have an added plant planes a month at the middle of more revealing than abstract theo- be at Omaha, Neb. The new Martin 1941 and of 30,000 planes for the tral prejudice: that testimony le

rising, private wishing, and ances B-26 bomber is to draw extensive full year of 1942. On a conserva- ly on the automobile industry for tive basis of one-half of Ameri- conclusive, that the North Atlan- parts.

can production to Britain, T. Pitle Ocean joins the British Isles Wright, Defence Commission con- and North America in one insev

Thus At Buffalo, NY.. the Curtiss Lant, calculated that parity in crable system of security.

between Britain the British are the first line of division of Curtiss-Wright is pro- txal air forces would be reached our defence and we are the final ducing eight. fighter planes a day and the Axis for Britain, according to recent early in 1942, Since it is proving citadel of the British defence announcement. These are of the possible to allot more than half against all who invade the ocenit single-engine P-40. type. Produc- to Britain, the turning point may which connects the homelands of

the English-speaking peoples tion on the Lockheed P-38 and come sooner.

on the Marshal's granting, und flying range to be capable of tion of which the Dougios Com-duction of 799 military aeroplanes the in December exceeded a schedule

side world to boot, regards taken over in cargo vessels,

latively short flights, must

as Hitler's willing tool in the defeated state. Pem tain's hesitation in going will be required to insure that far is the stumbling that the aid he perforce block. No one knows bet denies to Britain shall not ter than the Marshal him- covertly be extended to self how much vigilance her bitter foe.

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