Evening star., 1940-03-10
Welles' Mission Prompts Hope
That Dictators Might Dicker
Confidence of Totalitarians in Defense Pictured
as Element That Fosters Conference
Table Ending of Struggle
BY Constantine Br0,vu,

President Roosevelt prides himself on
being good horse trader-he said so
himself and has proved it more than
once.
On February 8 he told his favorite
diplomat. Undersecretary of State Sum-
ner Welles: Take this colt of mine.
Peace, across the Atlantic. 1t is good
colt, but nobody over there seems to like
his breed. Show him around to Musso-
hni, Hitler, Daladier and Chamberlain.
Let them examine his fine qualities. II
by any chance they want to buy him
and discard their old war horses, so
much the better. But even if they want
to just have look at him and try him
out, leave him behind. His gentle quail
ties may impress them and they may
want some more We shall be able to
provide them with many such animals
And Mr.. Welles proceeded on his
errand, which, for the time being. NAV
still appear hopeless, but he has left
the colt behind. Who knows but what
they may like him after all?
There is no doubt that in examining
the various statements at their face
value made by those who hold in their
hands the fate of the European nations.
peace or even temporary cessation of
hostilities appears as far off as the moon
But despite the gloomy reports which are
reaching the reading public, Mr.. Welles'
mission has not been wild goose chase
Two Facts Established.
Two things have been cleared up be-
yond doubt. First is that the totalitar-
ian states are confident in their final
victory-a victory which will completely
shake the foundations of the world as
We have known it for several centuries.
And second, the allies are reluctant to
accept the demands Of the totalitarians,
but are figuring that behind the bragga-
docio of Hitler and the friendly but firm
attitude of II Duce there might be some
room for horse trading.
Hitler and Mussolini seem to think
alike-so far as Mr. Welles has been able
to gather. Neither of them wants a
world with haves and have-nots. Both
are decided-in varying degrees-to put
an end to the old system of power policy
and replace it by something wherein all
the great powers will share the riches
of the world. and the smaller nations
will disappear, because as Herr Won Rib
bentrop boldly stated economically they
are not viable
In this shakeup which would make
room for the millennium, the haves
must pay for the benefits they have en-
joyed in Europe for several centuries.
In his Rome talks, Signor Mussolini
af1able and cordial. merely limited that
peace must be settled in a manner which
would make the recurrence of wars due
to mistakes of selfish politicians an i'm
possibility in the future. He was as
enthusiastic as former President Hoover
was about a general disarmament, but a
disarmament in which all nations would
share alike. And there could be no
such Observation-Disclosures no stable
peace-in the world so long as some
nations have everything and others
nothing. He invited Mr.. Welles to use
his imagination and read between the
lines.
Cordiality in Germany.
Not so Herr Hitler Mr.. Welles was
received with greater cordiahty than
he had expected There were no
guards presenting arms at the station,
but there was an unusual effusiveness on
the part of Herr Won Ribbentrop when
he met Mr.. Welles half an hour later at
the Foreign Office. The German For
eign Secretary was likened by one of the
encourage of the Undersecretary of State
to those bishops of the Middle Ages who
wore cassocks over their armor.
Herr Won Ribbentrop prepared the
ground for Mr.. Welles' visit with the
Fuehrer. He intimated that Germany
was not seeking peace, but was not op-
posed to it on certain conditions which