Evening star., 1939-10-06

were rejected-may be for the sim
pie reason that they were made by
me. I believe, however, that
sense Of national security will not
return to Europe until clear and
binding international agreements
have provided comprehensive def
milton of the legitimate and illegiti-
mate use Of ornaments.
Way Must Be Found
To Regulate Use Of Arms.
A Geneva convention once sue
ceeded in prohibiting, in civilized
countries ct least, the killing Of
wounded, i'll treatment of prisoners,
war against non-combatants, ct
cetera, and just as it was possible
gradually to achieve universal OBJ
servance of this statute, way must
surely be found to regulate aerial
warfare, use of poison gas and SUBJ
marines, ct cetera, and also so to
define contraband that war will lose
its terrible character of conflict
waged against women and children
and against non-combatants in gen.
eral. A growing horror of certain
methods of warfare will of its own
accord lead to their abolition and
thus they will become obsolete.
In the war with Poland, en-
deavored to restrict aerial warfare
to objectives of so-called military
Importance, or only to employ it to
combat active resistance at a given
point. But 1t must surely be pos
sible to emulate the Red Cross and
to draw up some universally valid
international regulations. 1t is only
when this is achieved that peace
can reign, particularly in our
densely populated continent-a
peace which, uncontaminated by
suspicion and fear, will provide the
only possible condition for real eco
nomic prosperity.
do not believe that there is any
responsible salesman in Europe who
does not in his heart desire pros
perity for his people. But such a
desire can only be realized If all the
nations inhabiting this continent de-
eide to go to work together, to assist
in assuring this cooperation must
be the aim of every man who is sim
cerely struggling for the future of
his own people.
To achieve this great end, the
leading nations of this continent will
one day have to come together in
order to draw up, accept and guar
antee statute on comprehensive
basis which will insure for them all
sense of security, of calm-in short,
of peace.
Such conference could not posi-
bly, be held without the most thor
ough preparation-that is, without
exact elucidation of every point at
issue.
1t is equally impossible that such
conference, which Is to determine
the fate of this continent for many
years to come, could carry on its
deliberations while cannon are
laundering or mobiized armies are
bringing pressure to bear upon it.
If, however, these problems must
be solved sooner or later, then it
would be more sensible to tackle the
solution before millions of men are
first uselessly sent to death and
milliards of riches destroyed.
Continuation of Present
State Of Affairs Unthinkable.
Continuation of the present state
of affairs in the west is unthinkable.
Each day will soon demand increas-
ing sacrifices.
Perhaps the day will come when
France will begin to lombard and
demolish Saarbruecken. German ar
tillery will in turn lay Mulhouse In
ruins. France will retaliate by bom-
harding Karlsruhe and Germany in
her turn will shell Stasbourg.
Then the French artillery will fire
at Freiburg and the German at
Kolmar or Schlettstadt. Long-range
guns will then be set up and from
both sides will strike deeper and
deeper and whatever cannot be
reached by the long distance guns
will be destroyed from the air.
And that will be very interesting
for certain international journalists
and very profitable for the airplane,
arms and munitions manufacturers,
but appalling to the victims.
And this battle of destruction will
not be confined to the land. No, it
will reach far out over the sea.
Today there are no longer any
islands. And the national wealth Of
Europe will be scattered in the form
OF shells and the vigor of every ma
tion will be sapped on the battle
fields.
One day, however, there will again
be frontier between Germany and
France, but instead OF flourishing
towns there will be ruins and end
less graveyards.
Germany will Fight
If Plea Is Ignored.
Mr.. Churchill and his companions
may interpret these opinions of
mine as weakness or cowardice If
they like. need not occupy myself
with what they think; I make these
statements simply because it goes
without saying that I wish to spare
my own people this suffering.
IT, however, the opinions of
Messrs. Churchill and followers
should prevail, this statement will
have been my last.
Then we shall fight. Neither force
OF arms nor lapse of time will con-
quer Germany. There never will be
another November, 1918, in Ger
man history. 1t is infantile to hope
for the disintegration of our people.
Mr.. Churchill may be convinced
that Great Britain will win. do
not doubt for single moment that
Germany will be victorious.
Destiny will decide who Is right.
One thing only is certain. In the
course of world history there have
never been two victors, but very
often only losers. This seems to me
to have been the case in the last
war.
May those peoples and their lead
ers who are of the same mind make