Evening star., 1939-10-06
Any Laxity by Allies
Is Seen Affecting
Third Powers
Stands Of Turkey and
ItoIy Considered Of
Greatest Import
By PERTINAX,

wv. NN.h.N ~.
speeches delivered in succession by
Prime Minister Chamberlain, For
eign Secretary Halifax and Premier
Daladier must be interpreted as ex-
pressing the firm resolve of the
British and French governments to
continue the war until full victory
has been won.
Probably In America some COM
mentators must have believed that
contradiction could be detected
between phrases in those addresses
which said no promise or assurance
received from Chancellor Hitler
would be regarded as valid, and
other passages to the effect that the
Fuehrer's eventual proposals would
be carefully examined. AS matter
Of fact, such a contradiction is
merely superficial. 1t exists in form,
but not in substance.
The truth is that the British and
French prime ministers were care
full not to give Hitler the smallest
opportunity to tell the German peo-
pie that his peace offer had been
curtly turned down and thus regain
their loyalty and devotion.
Danger in Wavering.
Were Hitler ready to resign his
functions, disappear from public
life and give Austria to Austria,
Czecho-Slovakia to Czecho-Slovakia
and Poland to Poland, European
peace, of course, would come into
its own. But, if German proposals
ever reach them, Messrs. Chamber
lain, Halifax and Daladier will not
be able to find there anything of
the kind.
In governmental circles In Paris
and London it is realized more and
more that, in the present circum-
stances, to waver and hesitate in
the prosecution of the war might
have most untoWard repercussions
on the behavior OF third powers.
For instance, on the behavior of
Turkey, whose foreign minister
now IN Moscow, tries to conciliate
the Ankara governments promises
to help the Balkan states uphold
their neutrality and France and
England protect the existing order
OF things in the Eastern Mediter-
ranean with the closest relations
maintained with Soviet Russia for
the last Is years.
Italy'S Position.
For another instance on the be-
havior of Italy Italy refused to
join in war against Poland in the
second week of August, when For
elgn Minister Ciano went to Salz-
burg and Berchtesgaden, for the
following reasons:
First, because the existence of an
independent Poland was a tenet of
her policy. and she could not con-
done its destruction Second. be-
cause she had not been given the
respite OF two or three years needed
to complete her military prepara-
tions, which was stipulated when
the steel pact" was concluded.
Third. because once more German
claims in Central and Eastern
europe seemed to take precedence
OF her own claims elsewhere.
In brief, Italy thought at the time
that the best method to follow to
promote her own program was to 90
ahead for an indefinite period with
what was then called the war of
nerves."
In Favor of Peace.
NO doubt, the italian government
would like today to revert to that
method, and for the purpose would
Teadlly favor the initiation of peace
negotiations. 1t may be added that
a premature peace. which could not
out conform to the Munich pattern
ana even something worse, would set
, a new premium on the steel pact"
and open to its signatories prospects
more attractive than ever.
However, Italy probably will re-
iraln from attempting anything of
that sort as long as she is convinced
the French and British cabinets are
determined to push the struggle to
successful issue and does not per-
celve which side is going to be the
winner in the long run.
But 1t might be feared that she
would deem it to her interest to
strive to bring about peace parlevs
once she had become convinced
that there was, at any rate, a good
cnance Tor success in the under
taxing. or course, having tried her
mana at such a job, she could not
be speedily disappointed. But her
disappointment might easily result
afterwards in a gradual change of
ner present neutrality into an atti-
tude OF hostility.
Germans Equally Fixed.
such are the reasons why Daladier
is wise not to allow the illusion
70 install itself in the mind of anv
foreign diplomat he meets that the
western powers may leave their
work half done.
On the German side an eoua1
nxity OF purpose is surely to be
found, but compared with an on
portunlty as to selection of means
that may defeat its own ends. 7
am told that DR.. Burckhardt. the
lone sentry OF the League of Nations
abandoned at Danzig, sent last
month to the secretary-general of
the League report of a conver-
sation he had with Hitler on ALL
gust IL. The gist of that document
Is that Hitler, who as usual. did all
the talking, spent his time abusing
bolSheWsm.