1939-05-25 — Page 18

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THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1939,

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General Elections

THESE RUMOURS of a general

election at Home are no idle talk. The two teams, for and against, face each other but the referee hus not given the signal.

Who is the referee? Mr. Chamberlain, and he has not spoken yet. He will decide, for he is the man who will know beat when the circumstances are most propitious for a Tory victory.

An immediate election is bound to be tied up with the interna- tional situation, and Mr. Chamber- Jain knows that situation better than anyone else.

Now consider the argumenta. First, those put about by the people who want an election soon.

For them, this is the Govern- menta.monient.of.opportunity. to. fight on their home ground. In- ternationally, the war in Spain is over, and that, however much we detest the significance of a Franco. victory, means a triumph for the

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non-intervention,

Meanwhile, Britain's defences grow impressively strong, and the voice of our Motherland can again be heard in the world.

We have taken a stand against aggression, and made popular alliances with countries whom we have sworn to protect.

There are others who are more cautious. They argue it would be foolish to rush England into a general election now.

They ask on what point would an election centre, and in reply say the International scene, Mr. Chamberlain's

past record In particular. And that means the polley of the Totalitarian states.

From Labour would

on

como

"MASTERY OF THE AIR" showers of well-merited criticism

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and another stirring up of inter- national dissension,

Their second argument is also a powerful one. Mr. Chamberlain's polley did not prove at all popular when threb bye-olections were held last week. One scat swung to Labour and the Government's majority in the other two was sadly reduced.

Their Jast argument recalls Napoleon's description of English- men as a nation of shopkeepers, for it turns on trade.

---What a country struggling on the upswing of trade needs, they any, isi internal peace, free from the alarms,; dislocations, and uncertainties of a general election.

So hold your hand, they say, and if you must have a general ́election, woll, leave it until early next year. That is the sense of the arguments on both sides. Only one thing;

(Contractors to the British Air Ministry and the Hong-Kong Government). Į decides, he cannot prolong a general

KAI TAK AIRPORT, HONG KONG.

remains: whatever Mr. Chamberlain Felection beyond July next year when

the life of the present Parliament: www.consiitutionally expires.

THE WOLVES: "See, they are trying to encircle us!"

If the Axis

The most beautiful will in the world

66

"All This

understands this, I Leave

it means Peace

A

by

W. N. EWER

LL the face of Euro- pean

has politics changed in these past weeks. Whether that makes a European war less or more probable is not an easy thing to judge.

For very largely that must depend on the two Dictators; on whether they appreciate the change; on whether they revise their calculations accord- ingly.

So far their policy has been “based on quite simple reckonings.

There were certain matters over which none of the other three European Great Powers (Britain, France, Russia) would, when t came to the point, rendy to face the abomination of major war;

or, at any rate, over which no two of them would be ready at the same time.

Therefore, in

of any

these matters either Fascist Power could do pretty much as it chose with- out serious risk. The only realst- ance to be overcome would be that a minor Power auch as Austria or Albania.

at

And, in fact, if the odds were made obvious and overwhelming. there would probably be no resist- ance at all.

They borrowed and used the maxim of Marshal Lyautey, the French over conqueror of Morocco-an overwhelming

display σε Iorce makes the use of force unnecessary. Czecho-Slovakia. faced by the whole might of the Gorman Army, simply must give way. Albania, defenceless against the Italian Air Force, must surrender, Even if

the they resisted.

"operation" would be a comparatively minor one.

The Abyssinian experience showed that the machinery of col- lective security would not work. The will to work it was not there. The League, as an instrument for resisting aggression, died on the day that sanctions were afted.

From then on it was plain that any great Power in Europe.could do anything it chose to any small Fower provided that no other great Power would feel bound, in its own intercats, to interfere with arms and readiness to use them.

Now

Herr Hitler could feel: reasonably confident that, in this respect, he could count on a free hand

In Central Europe. He

know, despite occasional guarded declarations (know, in- deed, from the very fact that they were so carefully

guarded)

and at the

British Government

a very and innuential part of the large and British people, did not regard any change in Contral Europo ́as directly affecting British interests, That had been so for centuries

past.

It was practically certali that Great Britain' would not" deliber-

ately decide on war for anything or anybody in the centre of the Continent.

Secondly, he knew that so long, as his objectives seemed to be confined to "revision" of features of the Versailles settlement, which large sections of British opinion regarded as unwise or unjust, there would be little desire to interfere..

Thirdly, he knew that British armaments were in a condition which made it very improbable that a British Government would risk war.

So if he concentrated his activi- ties on the little countries to the east of Germany, he could count with reasonable certainty on meet- ing with no opposition from England that would involve war.

And If England were unwilling, France, he could be sure, would not face a German war without her partner. Nor, indeed, was France

be herself likely to

precisely enthusiastic

about plunging into war on a mid-European issue.

The

Indeed, had their French, alliances; but France had always thought rather of the Poles and the Czechs as her allies in n Franco-German conflict, than of na bound to march to their herself na nasistance.

Bt, there were the alliances. And because of them Hitler moved warily and cloverty. He tried (not unsuccessfully) to shake the Franco-Polish alliance by separate dealings with the Poles,

It was not until Czecho-Slovakia had passed out of the French Into the German orbit and the alliance had become a dead letter that he passed to the final dismember- ment and conquest of that un- happy country. By taking two pites at the Czech cherry he made

of French neutrality.

sure

Lastly, there was Russia to be considered.

Britain and France might shrink from fighting to provent German expansion castward, might even feel relleved that the pressure was being directed East instead of West.

But would not Russin-the other Eastern Power-feel compelled to check the initial stages of a drive - which, continued, must threaten her own borders; of which, Indeed. the Ukraine was ond of the avowed objectives?

Beie the calculation was three-

-To-day's Thought

THAT should be considered long which can be de- cided but once.

—PUBLILIUS SYRUS.: ramona Homan wil who ins ones a slabé,)

fold. First, that the accumulating evidence of a strong isolationist trend in Russian policy was, ro- lable and that the Soviet Union Intended to defend ita OWN frontiers but not to let itself be

To You"

LONE, a man died in a

workhouse, and this will was found in the pocket of his ragged suit. By worldly stan- dards he was poor, but when you have absorbed the exquisite beauty of his words and benefit- ed from his deep and peaceful drawn into war unless they were philosophy, you too, will realize just how rich this poor man really was.

actually violated.

Second, that the condition of the Soviet Army and Air Force was such that, though immensely strong for defence, they were not capable of large-scala offensive

ณ beyond their own borders.

Third, that anti-Russian and anti-Bolshevik feeling in the East European States was so strong they would be 10th to see the Red Army in their territory even as an ally.

So, by and large, Herr Hiller was able to calculate with fair certainty that he could go adven- turing in Austria and Czecho- Slovakia and Memel without very scrlous danger of European war.

The calculations then wero sound enough. But they are no longer sound. A change has come over the scene, which makes them no longer valid.

First, it has at last been borne In on the minds of British and French statesmen that the “Axis Powers" are in queat of no limited objectives, but aro aiming at nothing less than the domination of the whole Continent and of its деда.

to

Secondly, they have been forced to realise that no rellanco can be placed on their assurances or on Any arrangements made with them; that, like the "Torles" in the 17th century epigram, they "know no argument but force."

Thirdly, their activities are now bringing them

псаг very threatening areas which have always been, and must always be, regarded as areas of vital concern to the British and French Empires.

Fourthly, the rapid pace British and French rearmament has already changed the balance of milltary power. It is now the considered and very confident Judgment of

those who know best the condition of the British. French, German and Italian forceA and war-potentials" that though war would undoubtedly be a very horrible business, an Anglo- French 'victory within fairly short time would be foregone con- clusion.

of

So that whereas until now Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolint have been able to reckon with reason- able sureness on committing aggressions without danger of major war, they are now very near to or actually at the point at which new aggression means not only danger, but something very near certainty of a major war in which they would be decisively defeated.

CHARLES LOUNSBERRY, being

of sound and disposing, mind and memory, do hereby make and publish this my last will and testament in order to distribute my interest in the world among.. succeeding men.

That part of my interest which is known in law as my property, being inconsiderable and of no account, I make no disposition of. My right to live, being, but a life estate, is not at my disposal, but, these things excepted, all else in the world I now proceed to devise and bequeath.

Item: I give to good fathers and mothers, in trust for their child- ren, ali good little words of praise and encouragement, and all quaint pet names and endearments; and I charge sald parents to use them justly, but generously as the deeds of their children shall require, Item: I leave to children inclu- sively but only for the term of their

childhood, all and CYCTY flower of the feld and the blos- some of the woods, with the right to play among them freely accord- ing to the custom of children, warning them at the same time against thisties and thoms And I devise to children the banks of the brooks and the golden sands beneath the waters thereof, and that

the odours of the welllows

dip

to

therein, and the white clouds that foot high over giant trees. And I leave the children the long, long days to be merry in, in a thousand ways, and the night and the train of the Milky Way wonder at, but subject, neverthe- less, to the rights hereinafter given to lovers. Item: I devise to boys, jointly, all the useful idle fields and commons where,ball may be played, all pleasant waters where one may swim, all snow-clad hills where one may coast, and all streams and ponds where one may fish, or where, when grim winter comes, one may skate, to hold the same for the period of their boyhood. And all meadows, with the clover blossoms and butterfiles thereof; the woods with their beauty; the

and the - squirrels and the birda echoes and strange noises, and all distant places, which may be visit- cd together with the adventures there found..

And I give to sald boys each his own place at the fireside at night, with all pictures that may be seen in iko burning wood, to enjoy with- out let or hindrance or without any encumbrance or care. Item:

To lovers, I devise their imaginary...world, with whatever they may need, as the stars of the "sky, the red rosen by tha "wall," the bloom of the hawthorn, the sweet strains of music, and aught else they may desire to figure to each other the lostingness and beauty of their loya.

-----If they draw. £nd—ack on_the_Item To young man jointly-1-be--

serisible conclusion, thon Europe

will find pance" again.""If not, ⠀ then":

queath all the boisterous, inspiring sports of rivalry, and I give to

́ PLEASE Tum To Page 5.