Evening star., 1939-11-27

to bear at the right place and at
the right time. In our case the
place and time will be decided by
those who are responsible for the
strategy of the allies.
But in the meanwhile, we are not
losing anything by delay. Time Is
on our side. Every week that passes
by intensifies the pressure upon
Germany of the allies blockade,
which is slowly but surely depriving
her OF those materials which are
essential to the successful prosecu-
uon of modern war, and which
she cannot produce within her own
borders. How different is the posi-
tion Of the allies who have at their
disposal within the empire or else
where, unlimited resources in men
and materials. With such advant-
ages they are bound to win in the
end, and the only question is, how
long it will take them to achieve
their purpose.
War Aims Stated.
That brings me tothe last point
want to make. What Is the pur-
pose for which we are today stand
ing side by side with our French
and Polish allies?
The question has been answered
over and over again by myself, by
M. Daladier, by Lord Halifax, and
other members Of the government.
one would think that there could be
no doubt about 1t. But there are
still questioners who feel that we
have not yet sufficiently defined our
aims. In my own mind, I make
distinction between war aims and
peace aims
Our war aims can be stated very
shortly. 1t is to defeat our enemy,
and by that I do not merely mean
the defeat OF the enemy's military
forces; / mean the defeat of that
aggressive, bullying mentality which
seeks continually to dominate other
peoples by force, which finds brutal
satisfaction in the persecution and
torture OF inoffensive citizens, and,
IN the name of the interests of the
state, Justifies the reputation of its
own pledged word whenever it finds
it~convenient.
IL the German people can be con-
vnced that that spirit is as bad
Tor themselves as for the rest of the
world, they will abandon it. If we
can secure that they do abandon it.
without bloodshed, so much the bet
Ter. But abandoned it must be!
mat is our war aim. And we
snail persevere in this struggle until
we have attained it.
When We come to peace aims, we
are dealing with something to be
achleVed in conditions we cannot at
present foreeee. Our definition of
them can, therefore, only be in the
most general terms, but there can be
no harm IN declaring the broad lines
on which we should desire to found
Them. Our desire, then. when We
have achieved our war aims. would
oe 10 establish new Europe not
new in the sense of tearing up all
the old frontiers and redrawing It.
maybe, according to the ideas of
the victors, but Europe with a new
spirit In which the nations which
inhabit it will approach their diff
cultles with good will and mutual
tolerance.
In such an Europe, fear of ag-
gression will have ceased to exist
and such adjustments of boundaries
as would be necessary would be
threshed out between neighbors
sitting on equal terms around
table, with the help of disinterested
third parties if it were SO desired
In such an Europe, it would be re-
cognlzed that there can be no last
ing peace unless there is a full and
constant flow of trade between the
nations considered, for only by in
creased interchange of goods and
services can the standard of living
be improved.
Arms Would Be Dropped.
In such an Europe, each country
would have the unfettered right to
choose its own form of internal
government so long as that govern
ment did not pursue an external
policy injurious to its neighbors.
Lastly, In such an Europe arma
ments would gradually be dropped
as a useless expense, except insofar
as they were needed for the preser-
vation Of internal law and order.
1t Is obvious that the establish
ment OF this Utopian Europe which
have briefly sketched out could
not be the work of weeks or even
months. 1t would be a continuous
process, stretching over many years
Indeed, 1t would be impossible to
set time limit upon it, for condi-
lions never cease to change and
corresponding adjustments would be
required if friction is to be avoided
Consequently you would need
some machinery capable of con-
quoting and guiding the develop
ment OF the new Europe in the
right direction. I do not think IL
necessary, nor indeed is it possible
to specify at this stage the kind of
machinery which should be estab-
hshed for this purpose. merely
express the opinion that something
o! that sort would have to be pro-
voed' and I would add my hope
that a Germany animated by a new
spirit might be among the nations
which would take part in its oper-
ations. oSA
There. then. for the present. r
leave the peace aims, and once mora
l would remind you that before we
can begin to translate them into
actlon we have got first to achieve
our war aims to win the war. In
tnls purpose members of the British
commonwealth are united as they
never have been before in all our
history. Let us then grid up our
loins, confident in our own tenacitv
and resolute in our determination
Let us keep clear before our ewes
tne necessity that this reign of ter
I0r 1nCf1tlYfnA