Evening star., 1940-04-20

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bination Of Germany's neighbors in
an alliarce for self f-defense which
collectively was stronger than Ger
many and its allies. Hitler believes,
and has repeatedly said, that Ger
many will be stronger than the other
despotisnls and That the democ-
racies are feeble and divided and
will neither arm nor unite in time.
His center doctrine is stated in
"Mein Kampf" as follows: do not
ever permit there to be formed in
Europe two continental powers. If
there is any attempt to organize on
the frontiers Of Germany a second
military power-even If only in the
form Of a state which might acquire
such power-we should see in it
an attack on Germany. 80 If it
already exists, destroy It," This
method was, in fact, the Roman
method. The city of Rome knocked
out its rivals one by one and alb
sorbed their resources until, after
the overthrow of its last rival,
Carthage, it was omnipotent. = =
The secret of its success was ruth
less violence. Cato used continually
to cry "Delenda est Carthage" until
Carthage was destroyed. Hitler
today is beginning to say "Delenda
est Britannia" There was no room
for national freedom either in the
Rome Empire or the Hitler empire
But Rome treated its subjects we'll
and eventually made them citizens,
whereas the Nazis persecute and
oppress them. . =
Superior Force Seen
As Only Solution.
When the gangster first appeared
society was half paralyzed-
until it organized itself to defeat the
gangster by the use of his own
weapons. 1t is the same in interna-
tional affairs. 1t is difficult for us to
realize that we are living in a world
in which power alone counts. I"
Yet the history of the last two years,
Of Manchuria. Abyssinia, Czecho-
slovakia, Poland, Albania, Finland.
Denmark, Norway and China all go
to demonstrate that that is the kind
OF world in which we live TODAY.
Whose turn will it be tomorrow? 1t
is quite certain that the process will
not stop until it is resisted by su-
perior force.
On long view therefore what the
allies. France, the British Common
wealth and their friends, feel that
they are fighting for today is to pre-
vent the extension Of this new ruth
less imperialist system first over
Europe and later elsewhere, because
its victory would be fatal not only
to their own freedom and existence.
but to free civilization itself. =
Indeed, we, the allies. now feel that
we are the last bastion of freedom in
Europe. If We went down there
would be nothing left in Europe,
Asia and Africa which could resist
totalitarian domination.
There is no doubt that the allies
being democracies. were late in
making their preparations. Thev
hate war and were reluctant to ac-
cept the discipline or to pay the
price. They were equally late in
combining for mutual protection
over Abyssinia, over Spain, over
Czecho-Slovakia. The latest and
most obvious instance is Scan
dinavia. If the Scandinavian coun-
tries had had firm pact of mutual
assistance, Russia would probably
never have attacked Finland and il
it had, it would have been easy for
the allies to have sent assistance
The allies. therefore, have been
caught relatively unprepared. Our
first task is to make quite sure that
Hitler and his allies, whoever they
may be, cannot win victory over us.
BY entering the war when we did
We have gained eight invaluable
months for preparation. We have
never been under any illusions that
the task we have set ourselves will
not be long and formidable one.
From the beginning we have said
that 1t would take three years. It
may be, as in other wars we have
fought. our only really victorious
battle will be the last.
Despite appearances We have al
ready. as Gen. Ironside said, passed
the most serious danger. There was
time when we were short of nearly
everything. It is certain, l
have no doubt, that if Hitler be-
lieved that by an unlimited Blitz-
krieg he could destroy Britain or
France he would unloose it, because
the destruction Of the French Army
or the British Navy would open the
shortest and most decisive road
both to the conquest of Europe and
to dominance in the world. Indeed
Gen. Goering still threatens it.
Diplomacy Expected
To Play Vital Role.
But IT Hitler does not launch the
attack on the west In the next few
months it will be proof that the
allied blockade has sufficiently d.
minished his stocks and his power
to replenish them that he does not
dare to face total war and that the
development of air strength by
France and Great Britain has been
so rapid and so efficient that the
German air force, long as it has been
IN development, recognizes that it
cannot overcome it.
I can say two things. The first is
that the struggle is not likely to be
short. unless the Nazi morale breaks
and that it is likely to be fought out
quite as much on the diplomatic as
the military front. A new friend may
mean a victory, without battle, for
either side. The second is that it is
sometimes said that we seek the
breakup and destruction of the
unity of the German peoples as an
end in-itself. That is not true. What
we are fighting for is security, Sc
curity for everybody against agrees
sion and war, poverty and unemploy-
ment: security for Germany no less
than for her neighbors and ourselves,
II she abandons aggression, so that
all nations will be free to live their