Evening star., 1939-10-09

armlStice except
on terms they David Lawrence.
themselves specify, is something else
again. But, when either belligerent
In war indicates a desire for an
armistice, it is the humane duty of
neutral nations to take the initiative
in proposing peace.
President Wilson, even before
there was any indication from Ger
many, sought to mediate in the last
World War and repeatedly made
statements of possible peace terms
in the hope of bringing about an
armistice. The entire neutral world
supported his efforts then and the
whole world would do likewise for
President Roosevelt today.
Guarantees May Be Asked.
The British and French are quite
capable of deciding for themselves
whether they will accept an armi-
stice now. They may ask for GER
tain guarantees as a prerequisite to
the cessation of hostilities The
discussion of basis for an armistice
may go on for several days or weeks
pending the attainment of for
mula, but the United States Gov
ernment, as impartial instrumental
ity for the forwarding or receiving
of armistice proposals, need not par
ticipate at all in discussion of the
merits of the terms.
Herr Hitler has, for the moment,
the upper hand, he has indicated
that Germany does not want con-
tinuance of the war. He has out
lined the kind of peace he wants to
see in Europe, and, while it is not to
the liking of the allies, the British
and French will find it hard to JUS
tify before world opinion a sum-
mary rejection of mere discussion.
Many people in America feel that
the British and French have just
cause, but American sympathy will
be less pronounced if the London
and Paris governments do not avail
themselves of the opportunity this
week to state exactly and precisely
why they think the war should go
on and to state their viewpoint per-
suasively. Certainly Herr Hitler has
painted accurately the picture of
what happens in prolonged war
and how no nation emergeS a vic
tor when economic ruins are sur
veyed.
But if Herr Hitler thinks a peace
conference means surrender by
Great Britain and France and that
he does not have to make any con-
cessions, then a peace" confer
ence would appear to be merely a
simple means of arranging for the
capitulation Of the allies. The Brit
ish Prime Minister, who is expected
this week to answer the Hitler
speech of last week, will doubtless
prescribe the conditions under which
Britain and France would lay down
their arms and talk What might
such conditions be?
Crux of Armistice Idea.
First of all the British and French
may insist on restoration of the
Polish state-they can hardly do
otherwise. They may ask also for
a restoration of echo-Slovakia.
Second the allies must ask for
Some form of guarantee against a
recurrence of the crises that have
caused expensive notifications to
be ordered in defense against Ger
man coercive threats. This really
is the crux of the whole armistice
Idea. The British might even with
hold all other terms and might
make general promise to discuss
everything, from a rearrangement
of the colonial question to new ter
ritorial arrangements in Africa, but
above all there must be a guarantee.
Herr Hitler, in dramatic gesture.
may offer to resign and withdraw,
leaving to Marshal Goering the su-
pr r-me command. He may offer dis
armament as part of plan for a
new form of collective security in
Europe. But at this moment it is
plain he wants to start a peace dis
cussion. The allies can lose nothing
by falling in with these tactics, be-
cause delay works to the benefit
of the British and French in a mill
tary and naval sense.
Once an armistice is agreed upon,
however, the chances of a resump-
ton of hostilities might be remote.
For it is just as true today as it
was last August that the peoples of
Britain, France and Germany want
peace and are willing to make sac
rifices of pride and possession to
achieve it. The whole world is
rapidly coming to feel that there
must be some way to bring reason
to bear upon all belligerent leaders
and to impress them with the realis-
tic facts of the last war that
impositions of physical force do not
lead to enduring peace. Civiliza-
ton yearns once more for some
other means of correcting treaty
injustices and creating economic
opportunities as between the ''have"
and "have-not" countries than the
slaughter of innocent men, women
and children.
(Rpprndpction