Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-08-26

in the European countries realize
finally that blood is being spilled.
Perhaps it was the suddenness of
the moves in 1914 which threw every
body into state of high excitement,
whereas today, the war idea has
been creeping along toward climax
for two or three years. What makes
the present situation different from
that which existed a quarter of
century ago is that enthusiasm to
fight prevailed both in Germany and
In France, and peoples were ready
for the issue. Today it does not
seem that the German people have
been prepared for war, or that any
body on the French-British side
really would sanction the slightest
offensive measure.
Herr Hitler knows that Britain
and France are arrayed on the de-
fensive and do not intend to make
a move of aggression. This means
he can choose the moment for action,
or he can refrain and accept any one
of the various avenues of peace
making that have been offered.
1t is certainly customary for the
heads of states to make pleas for
peace. President Wilson formally
rendered the good Offices of the
United States to the belligerent pow
ers in 1914. Mr.. Roosevelt is follow
ing precedent by issuing plea for
peace and suggesting a machinery
for receiving the djSD,ltpS
May Try Mussolini.
When the German Chancellor de-
cides to back down, or to try for
a. diplomatic victory, he must avail
himself of some of these mediation
plans. He may choose Premier Mus
solini again. The logic points to-
ward Rome as the capital through
which peace endeavors may be
initiated.
But what will the next peace con-
ference decide? Certainly some con-
cessions will have to be made by
Poland. Europe has been led up
to a psychology of fear about war
so that any nation which blocks a
settlement will forfeit the sympathy
of the world. DOUBTLESS some solu-
ton of the Danzig problem will
come first, and if the peace pro-
gram is limited to that issue alone,
it will not satisfy Britain and
France, who now will want some
real guarantee that the peace will
be kept.
Herr Hitler may believe that the
British and French will yield rather
than go to war, and he is doubtless
right about it, but he will be mis-
taken If he thinks the British and
French governments can afford to
keep their peoples in a constant
state of mobilization and apprehen-
sion. They must find some way of
preventing recurring crises, and that
will be something that will cost
Herr Hitler a concession. Some
tangible proof of peaceful intent
besides mere word pledges will be
necessary.
Real Basis for Hope.
It may be that if a peace confer
ence is held it may develop discus
sion of how ornaments can be
gradually curtailed. Such result
would present the world with real
basis for hope and optimism. 1t does
seem as if the Danzig issue is Incl
dental to the greater problem Of
how to accommodate the German
empire of 100000 people within
the sphere of European economics
and trade without making it neces-
sarr force to be threatened as a
me- securing consideration for
the = ecple.
The British and French spokes-
men insist that they will make con-
cessions, but will not surrender to
threats of force, yet Hitler gained
nothing by sitting down at the con-
ference table until he began to have
armament behind him to enforce his
threats.
The game of force versus reason is
apparently a difficult one to play
until both sides are equally strong
in a military sense, but this is be-
cause the British and French gov
ernments have never demonstrated
conclusively to the German people
that reason" means economic aid,
without which arise those internal
conditions that make it easy for
relationships to perpetuate them
selves.
The outlook is for a peaceful set
tlement, despite the war moves-for
there will be no war through formal
declarations this time, no commit
ments, even if troops begin firing on
one another and skirmishes begin.
This is an era of undeclared wars
and face-saving peace conferences.