Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-21
Nazi-RedW War
Would Help
U. S.. Britain
What a Break, if True
Exclaims johnson
BY HUGH S. JOHNSON


IF the Nazis start fighting Rus
= STA, what break for Brit
ain. What a break for us, if.
contrary to the judgment of
most of us, we have married
Britain.
There is no military opinion
in my ken that does not expect
early German success in any
such case. Finland proved that
the Russian srmyis mush, as this
column had predicted over apd/
over again. But ii has also re-
peatedly quoted Napoleon:
Empires die of indigestion"
The experience of the grand
armee' which marched TO Mos
COW 10 find il in flames and, re-
gardless of the great bases of
supply at Danzig and through
out Poland, retreated as a tat
terdemalion remnant, is no real
precedent, but the best thing
that could happen for western
Europe and for us is 10 turn
Hitler's face from west 10 east.
BOUT the most cruel and
"A senseless blunder that Brit
ain ever made. in a military
sense. was TO encourage Poland
TO start war for the unsupport-
able corridor and the possession
of the 80 per cent German city
of Danzig. 1t inaugurated the
second World War and gave
Britain a bet she couldn't copper.
When the history of this war
is written, critics are going 10
have many questions 10 ask of
John Bull. Why did he push
nation after small nation into a
position of peril in his own in
terest and in circumstances
where he could not possibly
support them?
WHY'S there SO much efiti-
cism of Chamberlain for APP
pcasement at Munich when it
is now perfectly clear that Brit
ain couldn't have done any
thing TO support that bastion
of Europe?
The least graceful part of this
war is the unsupported sacrifice
of weak nations in the interest
Of strong ones-Norway. Hol-
land, Denmark and even France
DUT. BOY, is this Russian
- business a break for both US
and Britain if reports are true
Perhaps Hitler can take the
wheatfields of the Ukraine. He
needs them. Most military men
believe he can grab the oil fields
Of what the old British army
called "Messpot" Iraq). He
needs them also. And so might
he control a self-contained in
land empire. But speaking en-
tirely selfishly, is that so bad for
us?
AS Mr.. B. NJ. Baruch has well
shown, the idea that NaZi barter
is going to dominate world
economics is crazy dream. You
can't trade aspirin. harmonious.
kodaks and bicycles with South
America for coffee, beef and
wheat.
When all is said and done the
medium Of international trade is
gold - as was stated in the
fourth chapter of Genesis
and has been true ever since.
Much as it has been criticized,
the Presidents policy 10 corner
the gold of the world will. in the
end, / think, be the smartest
thing he ever did.
WHAT is the lesson from all
w this? 1t seems very clear.
1t is for us TO get very strong
in army. navy, air and eco
nomics. 1t is TO watch and wait.
1t is to take what. in military
parlance, is called a position in
readiness.
Sooner or later, Hitler will
spread himself too thin. If he
tackles Russia, he will do that
sooner than we supposed. Eng
land will survive. Most of the
British Empire will survive.
When people talk about England
winning the wars or losing
the war" they are never specific.
Our government seems TO
have a better idea of this than
most of our people. 1t is swell
time for the administration of
American to stay in the game
and ante on every bet but not
to call for a showdown until it
has made judgment far better
informed than is possible at this
moment.
/ am betting on the President
on this one. 1t is of record that.
as young man. he once held a
royal flush and nobody sus-
pected it.
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