Evening star., 1940-06-30
If Defeated in Europe, Britain
May Fight On From Dominions
Help of at Least Part of Engand's Fleet Seen
Needed for Atlantic Defense if War
Comes to Western Hemisphere
By Constantine Byo,Cn,

Dv L OHSfUf
Any thought of overseas intervention
by the United States in the present war
must now be ruled out. The problem for
this or the next administration to solve
will be that of keeping an enemy from
our gates.
Europe on British lines is finished.
The defeated nations will become totali-
tartan by treaties; those which have
managed to keep out of war-the states
of the Danubian basin, Sweden, Switzer-
land, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Tur-
key-will dovetail their national policies
with Berlin and Rome.
Great Britain still talks about fighting
to the bitter end. Her position is des-
perate. Allies she has none. The British
Isles have food for about six weeks-with
careful rationing. Even if landing oper-
ations of German troops should prove
impossible because of defensive organiza-
tion of the isles and the presence of the
fleet along the coasts of Britain and
Ireland, Germany can starve out the
British.
Aerial attacks destroying the stores
and the main British harbors can par
alyze life in the United Kingdom 1t is
true that the British have improved their
aviation in the last few weeks and are
reported to have now between 1000 and
5000 bombers and fighters. Germany
still has several times that number and
by sacrificing even half her force would
make British resistance useless. Mastery
of the seas might help the empire but
not the kingdom.
Two Courses Left Open.
Therefore. it is believed here, only two
courses are open to the Churchill gov
ernment or its successor:
l. 1t may sue for an honorable peace"
This eventuality is discounted here. The
French have learned what an honorable
peace means . 1t is complete surrender
For Britain it would mean the loss of all
colonies and possessions and the destruc-
ton of everything Great Britain and the
British people have lived by during sew
eral centuries. The French are used to
defeat They have always managed to
come back, somehow or other. Their
greatness was based on France-on Euro
pean France. Britains greatness is based
on its overseas possessions. Britain has
never been invaded in the real sense
OF the word as France has. Peace terms
slmilar-at the best-to those of France
would mean the total disappearance of
the British Empire. Hence, Washington
believes, Britain will fight as long as she
is able to hold out, and there is little
likelihood that she will follow Marshal
Petain's example.
2. Britain may decide to carry on
from her dominions with the hope of
eventually obtaining support from the
Americas.
A suggestion that the capital of the
empire would be moved to Canada. or to
Australia, would have been received a.
lew months ago with loud laughter Now
1t Is possibility-even a probability.
Navy All Britain Can Save.
All that Great Britain can save today
is her navy-and possibly a number of
airplanes. The navy is divided in two:
One portion is in the home waters, in
the Atlantic; the other portion is in the
Mediterranean. 1t is conceivable that
the Atlantic fleet. after taking on board
as many trained soldiers as possible, will
make for Canada while the Mediter-
ranean feet viii make dash for the
Pacific and the bases at Singapore and
the Indian Ocean. There the ships
would no longer be threatened by Ger
man aviation and could meet any attack
from enemy submarines even if the JAP
anese and the Italo-German forces were
to unite.
Responsible quarters here believe that
the dictators will obtain only few units
belonging to France. Those which do
not join the British forces voluntarily
will be destroyed by the British before
being allowed to leave the fleet forma-
tions. Mr.. Chamberlain, considering
such an action unethical and without
precedent in international law, might
have hesitated to do this. Mr.. Churchill
has no such scruples.
The present British Government is
willing, it is said, to leave the civilian
population of the Isles at the mercy of
the Germans and hopes to be able to
carry on the war-even if it takes an
other decade or more-from the do
minions. Canada and Australia are re-
ported to have fallen in with such a
scheme.
In certain responsible quarters in
Washington the plan is looked upon
favorably. The position of this country
appears at present to be as follows:
1t must either change its policies COM
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