Evening star., 1939-09-28
Moscow Talk Nav
Be Sprineboord
For Move
BY the Associated Press.

AoANDO&N, 1SPos SoAANAS AStAoAA
that Adolf Hitler is working toward
. spectacular "end the war" move
designed to force British and French
acceptance of the liquidation" of
Poland grew in diplomatic circles
here today.
The British government kept
guarded silence on German-Soviet
Russian negotiations at Moscow, but
many informed observers expressed
belief that Hitler would make the
talks a springboard for peace Of
fensive."
Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax
had another interview with Russian
Ambassador Ivan Maisky yesterday,
apparently seeking light on enig-
matte Russian policy. Talking with
Maisky last Saturday night, the for
eign secretary requested the Rus
sian government to provide informa-
ton on it's future aims in Eastern
Europe.
How Maisky replied to Halifax was
not officially disclosed. 1t was un-
derstood in diplomatic quarters,
however, that the Russian view was
that a definite statement OF policy
could not be expected at this stage.
War Plans Pushed.
Britain grimly went ahead with
preparations for war of any length
to crush Hitlerism"-Prime Minis
ter Chamberlain own description
of the British objective.
Unfinchingly the nation accepted
financial sacrifices called for yester-
day in a $4,000, 100000 (approxi-
mately s8,o00,o00,000) war budget
submitted to Parliament by the
. chancellor Of the exchequer, Sir
John Simon.
The budget called for IS per
cent standard tax on income until
next March 81, end of the fiscal
year, and 375 per cent in the next
year. The rate has been 27.5 per
cent.
The new income tax set a high for
peace or war. Also increased were
1evies on alcoholic drink, tobacco
and sugar. The House of Commons
cheered Sir Johns assertion that IF
the price of victory be high it is
price worth paying"
The budget brought the reality of
conflict home to not inconsider-
able number of Britons who, in the
absence of major offensives, have
been asking, ''is this WARP"
Hitler Course Predicted.
Some observers declared Hitler's
Immediate goal was to have Britain
and France recognize a "fait ac-
compI" in Poland and conclude hos
tilities in the west with a promise
Of colonial concessions to Germany.
Failing this, Hitler would launch
fierce aerial warfare against the
British and French, with the aim of
destroying civilian morale, these
observers predicted.
Alert against this possibility, the
government warned that the 1,5O0,-
600 women and children now dis
tributed through the English coun-
tryside should not return to homes
in congested cities. Stringent night
ly blackouts were kept in force,
pending, experience in actual air
raids.
Strategists who looked for Ger
many to follow up her submarine
warfare with mass air attacks on
Britain and France argued that Ger
many had not amassed her huge
bombing fleet for war of attrition-
slow wearing down of her Western
enemies.
The British press hailed the out
come of yesterdays air-naval battle
in the North Sea as crushing blow
to Nazi hopes of crippling the Brit
ish fleet from the air.
The Germans reported their planes
"destroyed" a British aircraft car
rier and damaged a battleship, but
Winston Churchill, first lord of the
admiralty, said not one British ship
was struck. On the other hand, he
said, one of the attacking seaplanes
was shot down, another was badly
damaged and the four crewmen of
third taken prisoner when it came
down on the sea. "
Some naval experts pointed out,
however, that maneuvering battle
ships had yet to face a test under
the attack of successive waves of
large bombing squadrons.