Evening star., 1939-09-19
Peace Offensive?

1dleSt or paStlmeS IN this tragic
era of Blitzkrieg and chameleon di-
plomacy is any discussion of the
international situation based on
events of yesterday-any yesterday.
The world has seen how Nazi mecha-
nized warfare, af1eld, aloft and
af1oat, or Nazi political intrigue, is
capable of bringing about condition
so widely at variance with previous
calculations as to knock them over
night into the discard
That has been the course of events
since Germany delivered her Brutus
stroke at Poland. Russia's interven-
tion is Hitler's latest thrust. But the
western powers, which he has sue
cessively caught mapping, can hardly
expect that the Nazis' genius for sur
prise and intrigue is exhausted.
There comes a hint of at least
what they may see next. Mussolini
is reported to have been cast by Der
Fuehrer for the role of peace cats
paw. AS soon as the life is crushed
out of Poland by the forces which the
German and Russian Armies are re-
morselessly throwing around her,
Hitler is said to intend to offer an
armistice or truce. 1t would be
coupled with the suggestion that the
Reich and the Soviet, having accom-
plished the rescue of respective Ger
man and Russian Oppressed breth-
ren" in Poland, are ready for peace
peace, of course, on conquerors' terms.
The terms would include, primarily,
an Anglo-French signature to Po-
lands death warrant. They would
imply an acknowledgment by Britain
and France that they had sunk
to the level of second-rate powers,
because such a peace would auto
matically crown Hitler autocrat of
Europe, with Stain in powerful but
definitely subordinate position, per-
haps as a co-vassal with Mussolini in
the Nazi-ordered scheme of things.
The peace hook Germany is ex-
pected to dangle would be subtly
baited. London and Paris, long
aware of the Hitlerian strategy if the
Blitzkrieg against Poland should
prove successful, look for proposals
of a conference of brotherly love.
These would comprehend colonies,
credits, raw materials and all the
other cravings of the "have-not"
states. The hook might even be
baited with certain armament prom
ises, to become effective after Nazi-
Communist-Fascist domination over
the defeated democracies was recog-
nized and established.
Will the British and French peo-
Piles fall for any plan so transpar-
emily meretricious? Their friends on
this side of the Atlantic hope and
believe they never will. But events
of this past Week-the collapse Of
Poland after a defense that was gal
liant but hopelessly doomed to fulfill
ity; the incalculable possibilities dor
mant in the German-Russian mill
tary- economic alliance; the deVaS-
tating progress of the U-boat cam
paign against British ships, merchant
and naval; the obvious capacity of
Germany, now that the Polish job
Is finished, to throw her full strength
against Britain and France-all
these in the aggregate are factors
which may give Downing Street and
the Quai d'Orsay food for earnest
heart searching, should peace
offer underwritten by Berlin, Moscow
and Rome be dangled before the
British and French governments
Chamberlain and Daladier must
know that they would not be ending
war by succumbling to such blan-
dishments, but only inviting wars
renewal whenever the co-dictators
conceive that the time and place for
new -Slovakias and Polands
have come. They may even not wait
until the Poles have gone the way o1
the Czechs and Slovaks before max
ing a peace offer.
The Americas are not three thou
sand miles away from the conse-
quences which would flow from that
kind of peace. A Europe under the
Communist yoke, in light o1
Hitler's record, would hardly satisfy
for long his lust for power.
1t behooves Americans calmly
but realistically not only to face
the facts of today in embattlee
Europe, but to consider the posi-.
bilities of tomorrow as these might
ensue either from the brand o.
"peace" which Hitler is undoubt.
edly now ready to offer or from th'
sort he would impose on Britain
and a France PROSTATE at his feet
It can scarcely be doubted that whel
President Roosevelt asks Congress OF
Thursday to revise our unneutra
neutrality laws, he will find way
and words to draw the picture
clearly for the American people. HI
said as much at Chicago in Octo