Evening star., 1939-10-01
Allies Warned Against Abrupt
Rejection of Soviet Peace Step
Lloyd George Charges British Statesmen
Completely Outmaneuvered by Hitler in
Dealing With Russian Dictator
By David Lloyd George.

LONDON. The momentous news
which has reached us from Moscow
confronts Britain and France with an
entirely new situation. It was not un-
foreseen. The two governments must
have had it in their minds as probable
contingency. Both of Mussolinis mes
sages and Hitlers Danzig speech pre-
pared us for something of the kind.
There is, however, new, exceedingly
grave development, which the allied
governments may not have contem-
plated, and that is the way in which
Russia and Germany have identified
their common interests.
We were all led to expect that after
Poland had been "liquidated," to use
the new technical term invented by the
modern aggressors for completion of an
act of plunder, peace terms were to be
submitted to all whom they might con-
cern. We were also informed that II
they were rejected terrible and novel
vengeance would be enacted upon us
by Germany which had the means of
completely destroying us.
But the Moscow documents indicate
that bolshevism has joined whole
heartedly the confederacy of menace,
and that she means to place her re-
sources at the disposal of Germany.
She has already compelled Estonia also
to promise to place her material resources
at the disposal of the Soviet. That
creates new conditions Of vital conse-
Quence If the war Is to be continued.
If they do not alter our policy, they
must essentially affect our strategy.
Western Statesmen Outmaneuvered.
There can be no doubt in any ones
mind-we might as well be quite frank
about it-that we have been completely
outmaneuvered for the fourth or fifth
time by the German dictator. have
repeatedly pointed out that the most
formidable element in the international
situation has been the undoubted fact
that the leaders of the Western de-
mocracies, in Britain and France, have
been completely outclassed in capacity
and courage by the two great dictators
with whom they had to deal-Mussolini
and Hitler.
There can be no better illustration of
that than the hopeless way we bungled
the Russian negotiations 1t was our in
tent to conciliate the great power upon
whom the issue of the Polish struggle
depended. Instead of that we affronted
her susceptibilities in all the ways which
are at the special command of stupidity,
by deliberately dawdling over our replies
and by sending third-rate foreign Office
bureaucrat to discuss matters OF high
policy with the prime minister and
foreign minister of all the Russias.
Our military mission was almost as in
sulting in its composition and credentials.
The Germans, on the other hand, sent
their foreign minister, who enjoyed more
of Herr Hitlers confidence than any man
in Germany. It is almost a repetition of
the situation created in Europe by the
appearance of Napoleon, where the medi-
ocre craftsmanship which guided the old
monarchies of Europe came face to face
with a man of supreme genius and
audacity.
Polish Questions.
The full terms of the new Moscow pact
have not yet been published, and one is
not therefore In a position to express
any opinion as to whether they con-
stitute even basis for negotiation.
There is no doubt that Poland as we
have known her for 20 years is to be
torn into rags and tatters. What kind
and what size and what color will the
fragments be?
There is some kind of indication that
the racial basis is to be dominant; but
who Is to determine the territories
where Germans or Poles or Ukrainians
or white Russians or Lithuanians con-
stitute majority? Will Herr Hitler re-
new the proposal he put into his ultima
tum that he is prepared to leave that
question to be determined by plebiscite,
taken after a II months occupation by
an army of British, Russians, French and
Italians? Or is the delimitation to be
left entirely to the dictation Of the con-
querors?
From details which have arrived 1t
has already been determined that the
eastern side of the Vistula is to be Com
munist and the western side Nazi. 1t is
therefore sham to pretend that any free
and Independent Polish state, however
limited its area, can possibly come into
existence.
Terms of Peace.
Again, If there is a peace conference,
what are to be the subjects for discus
sion? Will the restoration Of Czecho-
Slovakia be included amongst the pup
pets to be discussed? Will the restora-
ton of the whole of the German colonies
be demanded? What about disarma-
ment? Above all, what kind of guaran-
tees will be devised that will give assur-
ance to the world that any arrangement
which might be arrived at can be de-
pended upon for the future?
Will 1t be another Munich peace,
neither kept nor intended to be honored?
VIII q new association of nations Of the
world be set up, each and all of them
bound to enforce new covenant of
peace? Is Japan to be brought in and