Evening star., 1940-10-04
Mr.. ChumberIuin's Exit

Stricken by illness, Neville Cham
berlain has relinquished his post as
Lord President of the Council in the
Churchill government. His reSigna-
ton was accepted in the midst of
cabinet shuttle designed to give
Labor more prominence in the Brit
ish war government. Ever since "the
man of Munich" stepped down from
the prime ministership last May, fol-
lowing the German drive into West
ern Europe, his eventual retirement
became an inevitability, for British
public opinion resented his con-
tinued presence in the cabinet, even
in minor role. Now he leaves office,
with Mr.. Churchill's tribute, that
you did all you could for victory"
Immediately after the British
fiasco in Norway, Mr.. Chamberlain
obtained vote of support in the
House of Commons, but by so narrow
a margin that his government only
technically escaped rebuke and over
throw. A month later Belgium and
the Netherlands went the way of
Norway. Mr.. Chamberlain then read
the handwriting on the wall. 1t
indicated that popular confidence in
his ability to lead Britain fighting
for its life was gone; that the hour
called for firmer hands at the helm
than those of the man who once had
made appeasement of Hitler his
watchword. and, placing faith in the
Nazi's words, returned to England
with hopes for peace in our time"
Disillusionment speedily ensued and
in September, 1899, it became the
sad duty of the peaceloving but
deceived son of Birmingham to de-
clare war on Germany.
Still clear in the worlds memory is
Mr.. Chamberlain's poignant broad
cast to the empire when he sub
mitted his resignation as Prime
Minister five months ago, after Ger
man invasion Of the Low Countries.
He spoke in accents of undisguised
and heartbreaking disappointment
OF the collapse Of his hopes for
bloodleSs European settlement. He
confessed with complete candor that
he had mo doubt some new and
drastic action" was required to re-
store Britains confidence in the
invincibility of her war effort. There
upon, he laid down the responsible
ties of his high Office.
Neville Chamberlain will not pass
into history as one of Britain's great
Prime Ministers. 1t is a statesman's
primary duty to keep abreast of for
eign developments which threaten
his country's safety. Despite ample
warnings OF the mounting menace
offered by q Nazi Germany, the
government of Britain over which
Mr.. Chamberlain presided neglected
lamentably to take those measures
OF preparedness which would have
proved her salvation in the terrible
ordeal through which she is now SO
valiantly passing.
The Chamberlain regime, like that
OF its predecessors, not only failed to
read Alright the signs Of the times,
as far as British defense necessities
were concerned, especially in the air,
but it was no less at fault in not
taking the true measure OF the
totalitarian dictators or recognizing
the unreliability of their pledges and
sinister purposes Of their policies.
Yet Mr.. Chamberlain carries with
him into political retirement, which
includes resignation from Conserva-
tive party leadership, the record OF
having been a sincere and persistent,
II misguided, advocate of peace. His
methods for achieving it proved
illusory and disastrous. They led
inevitably to war. When the arbit-
rament of arms became the only
possible alternative to Nazi domina-
ton, Mr.. Chamberlain met the sit
uation manfully. AS soon as the
conflict took a turn that obviously
called for more effective leadership,
he forthrightly faced the facts and
withdrew from the high command.
His place in British annals will not
be without its more creditable