Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-05
Peace Talk
to
Be BaseIess
Truce Now Would Mean
British Surrender
BY PAUL MALLON

getting peace rumors. Their
arithmetic is denied and de-
nounccd by every official au-
thority.
What the rumor circulators
are putting together are: The
arrival Of Herr Hess in England,
the qufetncSs OF the British
about il of late. the subsequent
Hitler meetings with Darlan,
then with Mussolini, and now
the flight home Of our ambassa-
dor 10 London, Mr.. Winant.
one minor government man
who knows nothing about it has
stimulated speculation here by
wanting 10 bet there would be
peace within 30 days. But the
only bet that can be safely
made is that peace now would
mean German victory. The
British military situation, 10 all
outward appearances atleast.ls
nowhere near that surrender
point.
Vague informal peace negotia-
tionS are nearly always being
carried on indirectly in all wars.
They rarely reach fruition until
one side has clearly established
a victory.
A negotiated peace now could
not conceivably clarity our de-
Tense problem. but would only
intensity it. For these several
reasons official interest in the
subject IS moi yet evident here.
THE all-power bill giving the
l. President the right, theoret-
iCally AT least, TO take the shirt
from your back or the gold from
Your teeth MAS written in the
war department last March.
There. they say. they have moth
ing specific in mind for which
the bill is designed. II was
merely written with advice from
the White House bundling up
the wartime powers given Wood
row Wilson in Ia or Is different
bills.
FDR sent it TO Congress now
10 implement further his defense
action speech. 1t takes a long
time to get such things through
Congress and the war depart
ment lawyers, as well as the
White House. wanted TO be pre-
pared for any future require
ncfts s..
This is a good story and no
doubt true except that il will be
a long. long. long time before
Congress will pass that partic-
ular bill Restrictions are eX-
peCted. One, fixing a time limit
on the powers, will he accepted
by the warn department. but
Congress will adopt other re-
Suictlons which may not be
acceptable.
What the trainers Of the leg
iSlation have in mind, they say,
are primarily patents and cross
license cases. The necessity Of
taking control of communica-
tons, railroads and possibly util-
tiles i'm the future is likewise
foreSeen The bill has nothing
whatever TO do with acquiring
land Some difficulties were en-
Countercd with land requirement
IN Caroline County, Virginia and
Camp Stewart. Georgia, but all
these have been adjusted.
INDIVIDUAL British troopers
L who escaped from Crete have
reported the Germans were
doped TO a fighting fury for the
attacks, but you are not likely
10 see that suggestion offered
officially. What the NaZis had
eaten that made them mad was
nothing more dopey than Hitler
propaganda.
Being the aggreSSor, Hitler
can concentrate his few most
enthusiastic troops at the point
of attack The defenders can
not. StlmulantS are frowned
upon by all military StrategiStS,
presumably including the NazlS.
Stimulation lasts only "A few
hours. and the hangover reaC-
tlon would make troops far less
efficient for a considerable Pc
nod alterWard.
4 FEW readers have written
"A expressing amazement AT
the recent disclosures in this
column concerning army de-
ficiencieS and inefficiencieS
They contend that the informing
of the people on the deplorable
state of their defense lends com
fort TO Hitler.
Their letters came stimuli.
taneously with news that the
British air chief in the eastern
Mediterranean had been kicked
out and up to home defenScs
after the fall of Crete. If ne haC
been subjected 10 enough criti'
cism 10 have built some under
ground alrportS. Crete would be
~ British hands today
This column is working on the
conviction that the disclosure oI
defects will cause their cor
rccuon. Any American who TO
day says all is well with our de
+ lenses i not fooling Hitler, bu'
/ paving the way for him.
Any reporter who conceali
defense defects and thereby let
. l.. 4.