The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-09-24
By FENNER BROCKWAY


Editors Note: Fenner Brockway
is parliamentary secretary of the
Independent Labor Party of Great
Britain. Mr.. Brockway's article,
published in 1.-THE Call" is re-
printed for it's educational value,
and its reprinting in The Voice does
not signify complete agreement with
all of the statements of Mr.. Brock
way.)
August 1913, was the most decisive
of the AZ months of the war. 1t was
decisive militarily: the Russian adj
vance, the occupation of Sicily, the
heavy bombing of German towns, and
the limitation of U-boat warfare were
generally regarded as an indication
that the United Nations will triumph
ON the field of battle, even though
the course of the struggle, if 1t re-
mains primarily military, be long. 1t
was decisive politically: the over
throw of Mussolini and the rising re-
volt of the Italian people for demo-
cratic regime and for peace were rec
ognized as not only the beginning of
the end of Fascism in its Italian and
German forms, but the possible pre-
liminary to a European socialist rev.
olution. 1t was decisive in its reve-
lation of the character of modern
war; the mass destruction of Ham
burg by bombing from the air showed
to a degree not before revealed that
the perpetuation of war may literally
mean the wiping out of civilization
The Russian advance indicates that
the German armies cannot now hope
to reach Petrograd or Moscow or the
oil wells and mineral supplies at
which they aim. The German forces
have usually advanced in the summer
this summer they have been
driven back. The occupation of Sicily
took longer than was expected, but
the door is now opened for an in
vasion of the mainland of Europe.
The bombing raids on large industrial
centers in Germany, Italy, and even
in Austria, must accumulatively rep
resent a serious limitation of Axis
war supplies. At the time of writing
been released for publication, but it
S evident that the U-boat menace has
been conquered, temporarily at least.
End Far off
When this has been effectively
stated, it must still be recognized that
he end of the war, if military power
S to remain the primary method, is
IT'LL far off. Even assuming that |
tally is soon out of the struggle, to |
lrive the German armies back from |
he northern bank of the Pc and !
cross the Alps, to recapture Crete,
invade Greece and sweep across the
Balkans, to invade France and drive |
he German armies back to the Rhine,
o invade Norway and to clear Scan
inavia-not to mention the advance
nto Germany itself-is a formidable
ask for the American and British
orces. The Russian advance has still
o go far to free it's territory and the
Baltic states and Poland. When this
las all been done, we are assured by
ion of the war against Japan will
AXE another six years.
The conclusion of the war, however,
yill not of course come from military
ction alone. What has happened in
tally proves the strength of the case
those who have urged from the be-
inning that the political method must
Q used 1t was found in Sicily that |
large part of the people welcomed
ne forces of the United Nations as l
berators; this was partly because a
proportion of them were l
and partly because there a
widespread demand in Sicily for I
from Italy. The fall of L
[ussolini Immediately liberated anti a
ascist feeling in Italy itself.
1t proved to be far stronger than ?
'ficial circles either in London or
'ashington anticipated. At the time v
writing, Badoglio remains First q
mister and Emmanuel of Savoy re- o
aims King, but they do not rule. p
hey prohibited meetings of three Il
,rsons, but crowds of thirty thous- u
I'd marched through the streets of s.
ilan, Turin, Trieste and Genoa say O
G that they must go and that peace W
ust come. 1t cannot be long before
democratic government is in power fl
Italy. IL
The popular demonstrations in Italy II
We had their political repercussions oil
roughout Europe. The peasants OF
ti-war movement in the Balkans Ell
S been encouraged to come out &C
're openly. The underground in is
3 occupied countries is emerging U
erground. Resistance to Nazism be
S stiffened in Norway and Denmark. tv
en- from Austria and Germany come sc
,orts of demonstrations and limited ne
rolts. The political arm to end the an
r grows in strength. In
lat Might Be
There are also significant tenden- CT;
S in governments. Sweden is en- Ia
ragged to be firmer in refusing the wi
of Nazi troops across it's en-
ritory. In Spain, the press begins co
print tributes to the British EN- co
e and to Mr.. Winston Churchill; ele
General Franco is stated to be me
king an understanding with the un
.ional Committee for French Lib th'
ton, recognizing that is has be- !
lie as authoritative as his neighbor. Ia