Evening star., 1940-01-20
P|edge.to Films
Not Idly Made,
Says Halifax
Holds Brituin burs
Hitler Dictatorship
Over Europe
BY the Associated Press.

LEEDS, Eng, Jan. 20 (via Radio).
Lord Halifax. British Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, assured an in
ternational radio audience today
that England's promise to help Fin
land will not remain an idle prom:
Use, mere academic formality."
Speaking from the Leeds Town
Hall, Lord Halifax said he had no
doubt that the prayers of the
world" were going up for the Firms
in their war with Russia. His speech
was broadcast in the United States
over the National Broadcasting
Co. and Mutual networks.
Discussing the conflict between
the Allies and Germany, the British
Foreign Secretary indicated a be-
lief that Adolf Hitler would have
become the dictator of all Europe
If England had not continued its
re-armament program even after
the Munich settlement.
Immediate Strike Nazis' Chance.
As he sees it, Lord Halifax said,
Germany's only chance Of winning
the war was by doing 1t at once.
"Yet she has hesitated
probably for the reason that makes
the bully hesitate for fear some
one will hit him back. I have heard
1t said that if the winter were to
pass without an aggression by Ger
many it would be the equivalent of
a victory for the Allies"
Meanwhile, he continued, England
has been building up her strength
at home and in the field and CO.
ordinating her efforts with France.
Our agreements open up a new
chapter in our history with France"
he said.
He repeated what Prime Minister
Chamberlain told a radio audience
early this month that he hoped the
Anglo-French understanding would
be broadened and preserved.
Little Gains In Sub War.
Meanwhile Germany has been
concentrating her efforts on the
kind of warfare peculiarly her own
submarine warfare Yet in spite
of this she seems to be gaining
little" he declared, adding:
"At time when we hoped hos
tilities might be averted the Ger
man U-boats were taking up their
stations along the trade routes to
prey on our unarmed and helpless
vessels"
But since England's preparations
have gone on. he said, some 5000
vessels have been safely conveyed
with the loss Of only u.
He roferred to the self -destruc,.
ticn of the urxf spec after thS
British victory Oh the River Plate,
and declared the seas were swept
clear Of German shipping.
Conscious of her miserable fail
ure at sea . Germany resorted
to mine warfare" he said. you
know that mines have caused us
great losses and worry, but I am
happy to say that today methods
are being taken which the Admir-
atty is confident will cope with that
menace successfully"
At another point he said:
while 1t would be dangerous and
wrong for any one to underestimate
the strength of the enemy and the
extent of the ordeals we must go
through I am satisfied that victory
will be ours"
Then speaking of England's peace
aims. he said England must insist
on the restoration of the small ma
tions which Germany has cut of
and Europe must be guaranteed
against a repetition of this dis
aster."
If Germany is willing to make a
decent peace. Lord Halifax said,
I'VE would not seek a vindictive
peace"
Hitler Denounced England.
He declared the Munich agree
ment gave Germany all that she
Immediately wanted" and settled
every contentious matter lin Ger
manys favor"
yet it became apparent at once"
he said, that Herr Hitler was dis
satisfied. In private he inveighed
against England and against his
advisers, who favored peace"
once 1t became clear that the
purpose of Germany was the domi-
nation of on-German peoples, we
found ourselves once more faced by
the historic challenge that Europe
was threatened and no assurances
of Hitler's could remove those
fears"
England, Lord Halifax said, would
have been "singularly blind" not to
recognize that Hitler's aggressive
ambitions lay far beyond Poland.
"Once he had settled with Poland
and Southeast Europe he would have
been ready for France and Britain
the secretary said.