Evening star., 1938-09-01
Up to John Bull.

history may stigmatize Viscount Grey of
Fallodon Chen Sir Edward Grey) as
the instigator of the World War. What
is meant by that astonishing allusion is
that the British foreign secretarys in
decision, following Austrias ultimatum
to Serbia-particularly his refusal
promptly and unequivocally to affirm that
in certain eventualities Great Britain
would fight-encouraged Germany to be-
lieve she could attack with impunity and
without fear of British Intervention.
The theory does less than justice to
Lord Grey's memory, for, as subsequent
events established, his inaction was die
tated by discord within the British cab
met. Prime Minister Asquith presided
over government saturated with
pacifism and pro- Germanism. Downing
Street was so notoriously house divided
against itself that Prince Lichnowsky,
the Kaisers Ambassador at the Court
of St. James, reported to the last that
Britain would not come in" The Prince
was destined speedily to fall from grace
as scapegoat, demanded by a disillu-
stoned imperial master, soon after the
invasion of Belgium converted a sup
posedly disunited British government
and people into unit for war on behalf
of our sacred honor"
That the German war lords would
never have ventured their fatal gamble
if they could have known in advance
that the Fatherland would have to fight
the British Empire, as well as France
and Russia, is today thesis on which
historians, statesmen and soldiers are
widely agreed. Their belief is predicated
on the Germans ingrained idolatry of
force, on his contempt for anything else,
in times of international crisis. He is
profound believer in the doctrine that
God fights on the side of the strongest
battalions. On August 10, 1914, in his
historic interview with Ambassador
Gerard, William II, speaking despond-
emily about the week-old war, lamented:
THE British change the whole situa-
tion-an obstinate nation. They will
keep up the war. 1t cannot end soon."
The Kaiser proved to be reliable
prophet, even though he was to become
one without honor in his own land.
Great Britain undoubtedly has it
within its power to change the whole
situation which today menaces Europe
and the world. Conditions differ rad
ically from those that bedeviled Asquith
and Grey and ordained policy Of vacil-
lation and procrastination in 1914.
Within the past seventy-two hours
Britain previously almost peace-at-any-
price in the Suoeten-Czech controversy
has undergone what American cor
respondents in London describe as a
psychological mobilization" Sentiment
is now nationwide that John Bull in
his own interest cannot let the Germans
launch war in the heart of Europe
or countenance conflict from which
France might emerge defeated.
But the most superficial knowledge
of German character and history-and
the leopard has not changed his spots
beneath a Nazi skin-must convince
Britons that mere psychological mobili-
zation" is incapable of cooling the bear
ings of the Reich military machine.
British Ambassador Sir Neville Hender-
son returned to Berlin last night, fresh
British cabinet on Tuesday-the seance
at which his majesty's ministers "ex-
pressed their entire agreement with the
action already taken and the policy to
be pursued in the future" He is to fire
that bombshell in the Wilhelmstrasse.
Cryptograms like that will not keep
Goerings air force-Britain's nightmare
grounded.
Europes peril this first day of an
ominous September is precisely the peril
that ushered in the World War-Ger-
many's suspicion, 6 conviction, that
Britain will not fight. The way to dispel
that peril is the way it might have been
dispelled twentyfour years ago-for
Britain to say she will fight. "Psycho-
logical mobilization" is indispensable in
a democracy, as condition precedent
to its going to war. But it has its
limits. The hour comes when it must
be succeeded by action or by categorical,
unambiguous assurance that action is
inevitable unless warmongers cease and
Gesist. That hour would seem to be at
hand. Our British cousins are apparently
unwilling again to court history's verdict
that they might have prevented war,
but did not muster in time the deter
mination, in the Kaiser's words, ito
change the whole situation