Evening star., 1939-10-29
Neutrals' Shyness in Proposing
Peace Distresses Lloyd George
British Observer Sees Long Starvation War; With
Air Power Eventually Rendering
Decisive Reply
By David Lloyd Georee.

LONDON-I fear that We must dis
miss the hope that was engendered in
many breasts that peace talks on an
international scale might be arranged
to avert the impending horror.
Three great and brave nations armed.
with every device for the destruction of
human life and civilization which SCI
ence can invent and highly skilled in
dustry can produce, are about to hurl
those diabollcal contrivances at each
other-for years. That is the ghastly
prospect that lies in front of hundreds
of millions of people who are not per-
sonally responsible for the catastrophe
I had faint, lingering expectation
that the stern speech of the Prime
Minister in reply to Herr Hitler's over
lures might not be regarded as a slam
ming of the door on peace negotiations.
1t took the German government several
days finally to make up their minds as
to whether they should take that view of
the last sentences in Mr.. Chamberlains
speech. Herr Won Ribbentrop's Danzig
deliverance, strengthened by Marshal
Goering's outburst, has left no doubt
in any ones mind that We must face a
long, cruel and devastating war
Deplores Neutrals' Timidity.
may be allowed to say that deeply
deplore the decision taken by both sides
also regret the timorouS hesitation dis
played by the great neutral powers to
proffer mediation or a conference.
PafOrp ont 10 ind
Won Ribbentrop gave as to the probable
German plan of campaign, I should like
to say how completely I agree with Mr..
Chamberlains reputation of the absurd
charge that ever since 1888 the British
government had been plotting and pre-
parlng an offensive campaign against
Germany. The only legitimate arraign-
ment that can be established against the
national government is that they neg
lected essential military and diplo-
matte preparations for defense until it
was much too late to cope with Nazi
aggressiveness in Europe.
Apart from the announcement that
the war must 60 on, the passages in Rib
bentrops speech that specially concern
us are those which are intended to en-
phasize the determination of the Ger
mans to concentrate their destructive
energies on the defeat of Britain They
= will take no initiative in attacking
France. They will hold her armies before
the Siegfried Line, but there will be no
invasion Of French territory Or bombing
of French towns. Any attack which the
French may contemplate on the Ger
man defenses will be repelled, but
counterattacks will be confined to clear
ing French troops out of any strips and
pieces of German territory that may
have been already captured by them.
No Grand Offensives.
There will be no grand offensves on
either side. In winter-and wintry
weather has now started-such opera
tions would be impracticable. Both
French and Germans are settling down
to an acceptance of that position of af-
fairs, with an occasional artillery growl
to keep up the appearances of war.
Our broadcasts from the front prove
that our troops are happy to conform
to this tacit understanding. We we're
delighted to hear that there have been
hitherto no casualties among the British
troops except road accidents For the
next few months there will be occasional
bombardments. but no infantry assaults
apart from limited-very lmited-of-
fensives to recover lost ground
What about the spring? The weather
will excuse immobility and inactivity
during the winter That explanation will
not be available in April. 1t is too soon
to predict what may happen then, but
unless I am mistaken in my appreciation
of the military possibilities, it will not
suit either of the two combatants to in
itiate and carry through an offensive on
such a tremendous scale as would in
volve casualties rivaling or exceeding the
ghastly death rolls of Verdun, Passchen-
daele and the Chemin des Danes.
Fortified for Carnage.
The positions to be captured on both
sides are incomparably more formidable
than those the Germans failed to cap
ture at Verdun and the French and
British failed to break through at the
Somme, the Chemin des Danes and at
Passchendaele. We are not raising and
training enough men to fill up the fear
full gaps and rents torn in our ranks by
great offensives. I cannot, therefore,
foresee even next year repetition on
the western front, as it used to be known,
of the useless holocausts of the Great
War.
Our present commander in chief took
gallant part in those scenes of futile
carnage. He was not, however, respon-
sible for the strategical orders that di-
rected them. I feel certain of the coun-
, sells of the allies against repetition of
these vain butcheries. Nothing would
better suit the Germans than that we
should repeat the worst mistakes of the
last war. Nothing would suit the allies
better than German attack on the
Maginot Line.
Britain Faces Attack.
We may therefore assume that the
present war policy of Germany is to do
nothing that will rouse France to an
tagonism or activity. Every expedient
of word and deed will be used to reduce
France to the position of a practical
neutral in the war. The German leaders
intend to mobilize and direct the whole
of their resources to furious and re-
entless attack on the British people in