Evening star., 1939-10-05
The War in Europe by Day
German Peace Hopes Hinge HitIes Reichstoe Talk,
But Bosie Issue Remains Who Is Boss of Europe
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
By DEWITT MACKENZIE.

BY this time tomorrow we should
have Herr Hitler's peace proposals
and know whether he is prepared to
make the far-reaching concessions
necessary to interest the Anglo
French allies in ending the war.
All Germany was ahush today in
anticipation of the Nazi chieftain's
Reichstag speech, on which may turn
the entire European upheaval.
What der Fuehrer might say was
guarded as a deep secret. Ohicialdom
said pointedly that speculation was
hazardous and disservice to every
one" Newspapers announced the
momentous speech in black head
lines, but ran for cover when it
came to hazarding a guess on its
contents.
From the undercurrent, however,
it was clear that German hopes of
peace were confined to the pos
sibility that Hitler might outline a
basis on which hostilities could be
ended. That is, it was thought pos
sible he might pronounce some new
Nazi attitude toward the allies.
In approaching the question of
peace it is necessary not to get lost
in forest of high-sounding phrases
and lose sight of what this war
really is about. The making of peace
isn't as easy as it might seem.
No Truce Between Aggressions."
Fundamentally this is a conflict
to determine who is boss of Europe.
And If that sounds like crude way
OF putting it we might say that the
Anglo-French allies claim Hitler is
out for European domination by ag-
gression, while Der Fuehrer main
talns that England-the policeman
OF Europe"-is trying to encircle
Germany and garrote it physically,
politically and economically.
French Premier Daladier yester-
day put his finger on one of the
greatest obstacles to peace when he
said IN a speech that France does
not want truce between two ag-
gressions."
That is just another way of saying
that the Anglo French allies believe
If they don't crush Hitlerism" now
they will have to do it later. They
claim to think now is the appointed
time.
In this connection, when I was in
Warsaw just after the Czecho-S -Slovak
crisis last fall, had it emphasized to
me that in 1933-the year Hitler
came to power-the late Marshal Pill
sudski added to his qualifications as
major prophet. The Poles claim
by the way, that their hero was
psychic.
Marshal Pilsudski Is said to have
urged France at that time to wage
'preventive' war against Germany,
saying that the fight would have to
come some time anyway. The Polish
records indicate that Paris refused.
Hitler has made it amply clear
that he doesn't want war with the
allies. The question now arises as
to how far down he is prepared to
climb to secure peace.
Peasant Clings to Land.
While we wait for the voice from
Berlin, the war on the western
front is producing human interest
if no major offensives.
The depth of the attachment of
the European peasant for his little
homestead, and the land which he
and his family have titled with low
ing care, is we'll illustrated in q
dispatch from Henry C. Cassidy,
Associated Press correspondent,
who has just visited the French
front.
"A casual glance at the front
itself gives the impression of de-
sertion.' Mr.. Cassidy reports. "On
close inspection, however, you see
that border village houses are filled
with men and the barns with vehi-
cles and horses"
We used to see lot of that
sort of thing in France during the
World War. Many a time up in
Flanders, "the cockpit of Europe, :"
l have seen peasants-men, women
and children-working in their
fields almost up against the allied
firing line, while great shells ex-
ploded near them.
These simple folk had but one
thought-to cling to the only home
they knew and shield it as we'll as
they could. Often they gave their
lives for it.
The military used to try to per-
suade them to 60 away to safety, but
they merely shook their heads. Only
when the authorities compelled them
to move. or an attack actually swept
across their tiny farms, would they
trudge away sad-eyed from all they
held dear into a strange world.
Today's tag line: The great marble
peace palace which houses the
League of Nations on the tranquil
shore of Lake Geneva is hoino