Evening star., 1941-07-20
US. Urged to Be Wary of War
To Liberate 'Enslaved Nations
Many Peoples, Though Opposed to Naz Methods,
Would Resent American Attempts to Free
Them, Observer Declares
By FeHr VI orIey.

category are Czecho-Slova and Yugo-
slavia.
The fifth division is also composed OF
only two countries-Hungary and Bull
garia. They were allies of Germany
in the other war. suffered severely from
the subsequent peace treaties and have
now been enlarged and favored by Nazi
action. Naturally. public sentiment in
these two countries is somewhat more
than reconciled to German victory.
Finally, there is the group of states
invaded by Russia during the present
war, made up of Finland Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania and Rumania. To all
members of this group, in which Poland
might even with some reason be placed
a German victory over Russia is of vital
Importance. The terms of the new
Anglo-Russian alliance make it almost
equally desirable for these states that
Germany shall not be defeated by Great
Britain.
Negotiated Peace Favored
The above tabulation obviously does
not take into account all of the cur
"
affecting European thinking with regard
to the outcome of the war But, like
any other objective survey of the sub
ject, it will indicate that in non-German
Europe, leaving Italy out of the picture
there is strong sentiment averse to the
defeat of Germany.
That sentiment is not confined to
quislings or fifth columnists. 1t does
not desire the defeat of Great Britain
any more than that of Germany What
it does increasingly favor is a nego-
tiated peace which would leave the i'm
perial power of Britain undiminished but
would accept the dominant position
established by Germany in Europe.
Hitler's ruthless invasion of Russia
did not create this non-German Euro
pean sentiment in favor of negotiated
peace. But it has unquestionaby
strengthened that sentiment and brought
the issue to the fore. This will quickly
become apparent if the Russian Army
cracks under the power of the German
offensive and if new governments &C
ceptable to the inhabitants are eStab-
l4o4ACN Iii lIlC NcSlcIll pdll Vi NIldl Is
now the Union of Socialist Soviet Re-
pubics.
There is little doubt that Hitler had
this peace sentiment in mind and sought
to capitalize it, when with complete
cynicism he turned on the blundering
colossus whose earlier cooperation had
made it possible for him to conquer
- eLol
of moral defense for Hitlers diplomacy.
But it would be idle to assume that this
will render it ineffective.
Peace Offensive Looms.
The answer to the anticipated peace
offensive" really rests in the hands of
the United States, for the outcome will
be determined primarily by the public
reaction here if the Russian campaign
ends in sweeping German victory. Then,
at last this country will have to face
the issue squarely, and decide whether
it will choose war or acquiescence in the
at least specifically reasonable settle
ment which Hitler may offer.
In making their stern decision. the
American people cannot afford to be
misled as to the essential factors in
volved.
There is already general realization of
the iniquities of the Nazi system and of
the necessity of defending the New
World against its possible postwar ex-
tension to the Western Hemisphere.
There is also growing realization that
Great Britain now expects not merely
material assistance. but also naval as
sistance and eventually a huge expedi-
tionary force from the United States. If
this necessary man power is denied, the
British will with much justification feel
embittered toward this country. And,
beyond that, the time may come when
they will perforce accept negotiated
peace
What is not so we'll understood is
that in making war on Germany we
would also risk hostilitieS with non-Ger-
man peoples who are resigned to, and
in some cases actually partisans of, a
unified Europe under German leadership.
A hint as to the reality of this danger is
provided by the reinforcements which
Portugal has recently rushed to her At
lantic outpostS. 1t is not toward Ger
many that the guns on the Cape Verde
Islands are trained.