Evening star., 1940-12-27
Beware the Peace Offensive!
Eliot Feors HitIer's Possible Strategy Will Lead
To Undermining U. S. in Bottle Of Production

ment have rested satisfied with her
former colonies for herself, with
Tunis, Djibouti and a share of the
control of the Suez Canal for Italy.
The purpose of such proposals is
exceedingly plain. They would be
intended primarily for the Ameri-
can people. If Americans could be
sold on the idea of a lust" peace,
arrived at by negotiation, the foun-
dations of American support to
Britain might be undermined, and
the British brought, in despair, to
acceptance of the German terms.
The italian disasters appear to have
given check to this plan, but there
are now signs that 1t has not been
abandoned.
U. S. Production Feared.
The advantages offered by such a
peace would in fact prove wholly
illusory. It's major and most treach-
erous purpose would be to win the
battle of production; that is, to
bring about a cessation, or a sharp
decline, in the progress of American
rearmament and industrial mobil-
ization. 1t is this American effort
which Germany really fears. 1t
represents the one force in the
world which Germany cannot now
reach with her blows, and which. in
the long run, she cannot hope to
match by any effort of her own-as
long as the blockade continues.
Once let there be negotiated peace
and no one can doubt that Ameri-
can rearmament will be fatally ham
dicapped. The wishful thinkers will
overrun the land. We shall be
smeared from head to foot with the
poisonous honey of German prom
ises and German assurancesbbf good
will. Our industries will turn once
more from swords to plowshares.
But meanwhile, Germany at home
will be consolidating her position
in Central Europe, will be renewing
her dwindling supplies of oil and
other materials, will be reconstruct
ing and reorganizing along the lines
of the wars lessons her submarine
and air forces. Her economic
dominance of Italy, Spain and the
Balkans will be backed by the
enormous prestige of victory. In
Africa-and worse, in Latin America
"a German commercial and fin
ancial offensive will go into full
swing. German influence will be
behind japanese aggression in the
Far East. In year or two an i'm
mensely stronger Germany, and one
far more formidably established in
every part of the world, will be
ready to resume the onward march
to the world conquest which will re-
main the German goal. The peace"
will be but an armistice-a breath
ing space for Hitler.
These would be the fruits, for
Germany, of a negotiated peace now.
For the garnering of such fruits,
she may well be willing to make ap-
parent sacrifices of immediate ad-
vantages She may we'll be willing
to abandon areas in which her oc-
cupation is maintained only by
force of arms, and where she can
hope in any case to hang on to
many economic and political foot
holds backed by covert threat and
steady pressure.
Must Press on Now.
1t is for such Germany victory,
whether they know it or not, that
those Americans who now talk of
a negotiated peace are working. 1t
is toward such future resumption
of hostilities, at Germanys selected
moment, that they are moving. A
| Germany, placed as such a peace
would place her, would possess a
(See ELIOT, Page AID