The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-06-18

The preachers fat professional smile
remained fixed, bored, deadly
subtlest efforts DR.. Goebbels might
manage. Ludwell Denny of the
the best discussion of the question,
and Denny is one of the ablest, best
informed and most respected report
ers in Washington So is William
Philip Simms, also of the Scripps
Howard Washington staff; Simms too
reported peace rumors last week.
Moreover, serious talk of peace long
preceded Winant's arrival. If so
staunch an administration man as
Senator Tom Connally of Texas knew
that there was "some peace talk 60
ing on certainly the President did
Connally's apparent "indiscretion" in
revealing the news was matter of
administration politics. Quite posi-
bly, any mention of peace is an in
discretion.
The terms that Hitler has been Of
fering are still believed to be those
outlined in UNCENSORED week
ago: independence for England; re-
tention of large part of the empire
by Britain; transfer of the former
German colonies in Africa and control
of the Mediterranean to Adolf Hit
Ter; India for the British-unless they
hesitate so long that Hitler closes
deal regarding India with Josef Stain
1t is also still reported that Hitler
thinks he might be able TO get along
with Winston Churchill These terms
do not differ materially from those
offered last summer. This is no more
than an outline. Whether or not
such a peace would be a good" one
depends on the unknowns the eco
nomic and political details and the
actual present state of Britain's war
effort.
Justification
Neither the contents of Ambassador
Winant's dispatch case, nor the fact
that the Axis radios and the rest of
the Goebbels machine are propagan-
dizing for peace, is fundamental.
What is fundamental is the exact re-
lation of British power to German
power. The President is reported to
have said that no responsible person
had suggested that Britain's plight
was so desperate that she could con-
tinue war only few months longer
on the present basis If the Presi-
dent meant as he presumably did,
that no administration official had
made such a statement, he was right
But responsible" is big word. Many
persons whose responsibility must be
respected have offered that opinion.
The British have been driven off the
continent of Europe. They have lost
control of a large part of the Medi-
terranean and many military experts
think that they are about to lose the
entire Near East and Egypt Their
cities have been heavily
bombed There is no evidence that
German industry has suffered com
parable damage. British shipping
losses have passed the serious stage.
What may be more important, large
sections of their great ports have been
reduced to shambles. The story is
still heard in Washington that only
Liverpool and Glasgow are operating
IN anything like normal capacity |
But Liverpool has been heavily |
bombed too, and Liverpool is Eng |
ands great food port. Englishmen
ire reported to be eating less than |
Germans A large part of the British |
leet is operating from bases 5000 |
niles across the Atlantic because of
lamage to its bases in England. AS |
/ matter of act, if the U. S. should |
lend outright conveys, then full naval |
md air aid, there is no certainty that
England herself can be saved. If this
picture is the correct one cit can be
lrawn from the daily papers) talk of
)eace is more than reasonable. That |
s why such talk is so widely credited
n Washington.
Politics
How the internal political situation
IL EnSldHu ueVelOpS eventually VIII
determine the issue of peace or con-
inued war. A decision must be made
inside England to fight or accept the
lest deal than can be made with Adolf
Hitler Since the fall of Crete, both
he London press and the Parliament
ave been in a mood to call Church
sharply to account for what has
already in the Mediterran-
an theatre and what may happen
here in the next few week. Even ;
he London Times has joined the at
ack. The uproar seems to be die
ated by the old-line Conservative ma
)rity which was behind Neville Cham
erlain, not Churchill and Eden.
Many sources familiar with English
olitics think there may be big '
abinet shift, unless Winston Church
/ can pull something out of the hat !
such as a u. S. declaration of war
hould Churchill himself fall they