Evening star., 1939-10-10
The Peace Offensive


Specious and delusive as is the
peace offensive Adolf Hitler launched
last week, it is indubitably accom-
plishing his initial purpose in stimu-
lating international discussion. In
London and Paris, as we'll as at
Washington and at every neutral
capital in Europe, including, of
course, Moscow and Berlin-if the
Communist and axis capitals can be
called neutral-Der Fuehrer's bid for
wars end dominates official and
popular thought. Here in Washing
ton it now competes in interest with
the desultory neutrality debate in
Congress, due to certain sentiment
in the Senate in favor of President
Roosevelt's Intervention as media
tor-a suggestion of Berlin inspira-
ton.
Mr.. Chamberlain told Parliament
yesterday, while not referring spe-
cifically to the Nazi olive branch,
that Britain and France remain in
complete accord" as to war aims.
GAS time goes on" he added, "the
allied powers no doubt will consider
whether the purposes for which they
went to war should be more specific
ally stated" The Prime Minister'S
statement was evoked by Labor
party Interpolation on war objec-
tives. AS the government is due to
give the House of Commons tomorrow
its regular weekly report on the in
ternational situation, matters may
in the interval have progressed to
point permitting the cabinet to speak
less cryptically. Premier Daladier,
scheduled to broadcast IAN impor-
tant speech" this afternoon, may
shed light on the German peace
offensive before Mr.. Chamberlain
again speaks.
This war of diplomacy which has
momentarily blotted the military,
naval and air war off the front page,
is undeniably up Hitler's street. That
his sudden zeal for peace springs
from his anxieties can hardly be
doubted. It is not the voice of a
conqueror of rock-ribbed confidence
in the impregnability of his cause
and fortunes. The announcement
that the Soviet Union, in accord with
the recent Molotoff- -Ribbentrop pact,
is now to speed the pace and aug
ment the scale OF Russian supplies to
Germany doubtless has its propa-
ganda purpose, but it fails to con-
ceal the Reich's needs for war stuffs
from the more opulent Red partner.
Yet, admitting all of these prob
abilities, the Germans are scoring
automatically by even getting their
enemies and the neutrals to talk
peace. In doing that they unques-
tionably draw what they consider
first blood in the stop-the-war Of
fensive.
The initiative, in a manner Of
speaking, has now returned to Lon
don and Paris. Hitler asks what,
now that Poland has been defeated
and partitioned, the western powers
are fighting for. He gives them an
appropriate opportunity to define, at
least more specifically than hitherto,
just what it is that called Britain
and France to arms. They have said
it is the restoration Of Poland and
the removal of Hitlerism. Can the
Poland of Versailles be restored, now
that Russia, with which the western
powers are not at war, occupies the
whole eastern half of the late Polish
state?
Does removal of "Hitlerism" mean
merely the disappearance Of Adolf
Hitler, or also of Goering, Hess,
Himmler, Goebbels, Ribbentrop and
the whole Nazi crew and cult, lock,
stock and barrel? Does removal of
Hitlerism" mean the restitution of
Czecho-Slovakia, along with the lib
Grafton of Poland? Does it, mean
the demobilization of the terrible war
machine created by Hitler, on his
own admission, at a cost of 10000
100000, sum about equal to the
American national debt, and does it
mean Germanys readiness to enter
into and keep an international dis
armament agreement? Does re
moval Of Hitlerism" mean the sue
cession to power in Berlin of a re-
gime pledged to renounce war as an
instrument of national policy?
When Hitler learns that these are
some Of the things the allies are
fighting for, he will have his chance
to say whether he prefers conceding
them or going on fighting. He could
properly be told that 1t will be time
enough to talk about colonies and
redistribution of natural resources
when the world is certain of dealing
with German government in which
the truth reposes and from which
the cancer OF aggression has been
removed. The Berlin foreign office