Evening star., 1939-10-04
The War in Europe by Day
Europe Awaits Hter's Peace Terms in Reichstog Talk
With Little Optimism, but CIinqs to SIiqht HOPE
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE,


The question of whether Fuehrer
Hitler is sowing his peace seeds on
stony ground must tower above all
other issues, pending a clarification
Of his policies, reputedly to be made
in his forthcoming Reichstag speech
which is expected about the end of
this week.
Nazidom apparently hasn't yet
abandoned the idea of persuading
the Anglo-French allies to end the
war Con Hitler's terms) despite Brit
ish Prime Minister Chamberlain
reiteration yesterday that the allies
won't accept Hitlerian peace.
Notwithstanding the deadlock be-
tween the combatants, the public re-
action in the various affected coun-
tries-on both sides of the debate
can leave little doubt that the man.
ln-the-street and his wife and his
youngsters are yearning for peace.
Hope. But Not Optimism.
One might go further and suggest
cautiously that there might be some
hope of peace If Herr Hitler were
prepared to take deep enough dive
into the waters of restitution and
guaranteed reform.
The allies have declared their in
tention to get his scalp, but one takes
the liberty of suspecting they might
forego that pleasure If they got
everything else they are fighting for.
The NaZi chieftain, however, has
never established a reputation for
deep diving and elf-effacement.
The word of the day in Europe,
therefore. is hope but not optimism.
A paragraph in an Associated
Press dispatch from Rome seems to
sum up the public feeling in all
countries pretty well in these words:
Some italians seemed to feel that
optimism based upon the carefully
worded declarations of British
spokesmen was no more than grasp
ing at straws in the wind. So dis
astrous did the prospect Of a gen.
eral European war appear to
Italians, however, that they were in
clined to seize upon the slightest
SIouIluS lOT nope.
Allies Press Preparations.
While the British have left the
door open for consideration of any
legitimate peace offer, the Anglo
French Allies are going ahead with
the idea that the war will continue
and in an intensified form.
The London Times, which often
reflects official policy, declares that
any German peace terms acceptable
to the allies must offer the ire
duclble minimum of "the restitution
OF the independence of Poland and
security for the future peace of
Europe"
The French press acclaimed Mr..
Chamberlain's statement that mo
threat can persuade our country
or France to abandon the purpose
Tor which we have entered the
struggle" It interpreted the Brit
lsh Prime Minister'S speech as a
tremendous slap in the face" for
Hitler.
Berlin declined Official comment,
but the mien of officialdom was
grave. However. Herr Hitler, who
worked far into the night to study
the Chamberlain declaration. was
reliably reported as holding that the
Prime Minister'S speech didn't give
clear reply to the German-Rus-
sian peace declaration of Moscow
and contained nothing substantially
new.
Well-informed quarters forecast a
strengthening of Nazi- Russian ties
as result OF the British attitude.
Typhus Spreads in Poland.
In the theater of war the out
standing development has been the
appearance of dread typhus in Po-
land. This presents a grave prob
lem not only to the German and
Russian armies of occupation, but to
Eastern ETope as a whole.
One way this disease is spread
is through lice, and the Germans
report they encountered such a host
OF these pests among prisoners that
the ordinary delousing apparatus
was wholly inadequate.
Howard Blakeslee, Associated
Press science editor. tells me that
there is danger of Polish exiles
carrying typhus to other parts of
Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
"Typhus is endemic in Poland,
chiefly in the eastern part" he says.
"The Poles themselves are largely