Evening star., 1939-09-04
The War Unbelievable

pass. Europe is again a cockpit
Great Britain and France have
Joined Poland in war against ag-
gressor Germany. How long the
conflict will remain a four-power
controversy before spreading into an
other world war no man can foretell
at this tragic hour Even should the
conf1agration be confined to the
countries already embroiled. man
kind is on the brink of catastrophe
days-perhaps years-for the re-
sources of the belligerents are vast
and far-fung. assuring hostilities of
inestimable duration and staggering
dimensions, because the technique of
modern war, its capacity for de-
structiveness, is terrible to contem-
plate. Those millions of humans still
alive, who remember the horrors of
the 1914-18 holocaust, can today
hardly persuade themselves that
events of the past tWenty-four hours
can be realities. Reason totters at
the thought
The die was cast by Adolf Hitler's
refusal of the Anglo-French demand
for Immediate abandonment of Ger
man aggression on Poland. That ul-
timatum having expired Sunday
morning without required action by
Germany, Great Britain proclaimed
herself at war with her Later in the
day France, her final warning also
ignored, likewise declared a state of
war between herself and the tradi-
tional foe across the Rhine. The new
Armageddon was begun.
Hitler countered with a character
1stic TRADE couched in the form of
diplomatic note, but in essence a
torrent of malevolent abuse of Great
Britain. 1t is transparency designed,
at the outset, to fasten upon that
nation responsibility for the war by
"nullifying all German attempts for
peaceful settlement" But there is
little doubt that later dispassionate
analysis of the diplomatic CORE
sp0ndence preceding BLACK Sunday"
will fix the ghastly guilt for this war
on Hitler-and Hitler alone.
Prime Minister Chamberlain, few
hours after Britain was at war,
bluntly branded Hitler as a prevari-
Gator. He stigmatized Der Fuehrer
as ruler in whom the truth does
not repose, and, because mo word of
his can be trusted" Britain resolved
to finish the intolerable situation"
which Naziism has created in the
world.
Instant steps were taken to eff
fectuate that grim determination.
Besides transferring Britain to war
basis along pre-arranged lines, Mr..
Chamberlain announced a signifi-
cant reorganization of his cabinet.
Winston Churchill, persistent an
tagonist of the appeasement policy
which led to Munich, was given his
World War post of First Lord of the
Admiralty, in supreme command of
Britain's naval forces. Anthony Eden,
who gave up the foreign secre-
taryship in protest against a pro-
gram of conciliating the dictator
ships, was appointed Dominions Sec
retary, with a seat in the inner war
cabinet A Churchill Eden addition
to the British government unques-
tionably strengthens it. It will carry
assurance to the nation of vigorous
prosecution of the war.
Amid these developments, Britain
MAS daughter nations overseas,
Australia, New Zealand, Canada and
others, communicated assurances of
allegiance to the mother country.
Several declared war on Germany in
their own self-governing rights.
Egypt proclaims common cause with
the Anglo-French front. Italy indi-
Gates continued neutrality in Hitler's
war. Turkey and Greece align them
selves with sthe western powers.
Japan, the Netherlands, Belgium and
Fire (the Irish Free State) announce
their neutrality, as does the Balkan
bloc of Rumania, Bulgaria, Hungary
and Yugoslavia.
Noteworthy in all this is that no
single country has taken sides with
Germany. Even Hitler's new friend,
Stain, gives no inkling of Soviet
Russia's intention to fight with the
Reich. The Nazi dictatorship, in it's
reckless gamble for European dicta-
torship, takes the field alone. Its
plans for accomplishment of that
wild venture are naturally not yet
disclosed. Nor is the strategy of
Britain and France. Only so much
is certain-that Hitlerism at length
Is in for a battle to the death. 1t
will be war of that description be-
cause it is struggle for principle,
as King Georges message to his EN-
pire succinctly puts it-not war to