Evening star., 1943-01-10
Allied Unity Of Purpose as Vital
When War Is Over as It Is Now
Possibility OF British and Russian Territorial
Aspirations in North Africa; Baltic States
Seen Peril to Hope of Lengthy Peace
By Constantine Broom.

Never has there been a greater need
for Allied unity Of purpose than now.
Victory may not be long way of, and
Allied military and political leaders are
exuding confidence that in the not too
distant future the European branch of
the Axis will be suing for peace.
Trial balloons, with unacceptable de-
mands, have been sent up by the victory
drunk Nazis since the day Poland was
invaded. After the fall Of France feelers
were extended from Berlin and Rome,
but none touched receptive Allied hands.
In recent months peace doves have made
their appearance in several neutral
countries, but the olive branch which
had been put In their beaks by Hitler
and his cohorts looked 50 much like a
dagger that they were sent home in
disgrace.
Peace by negotiation with the two
European dictators appears impossible
Our leaders regard military victory as
the only road to peace. Terms will be
dictated to those nations which have
blindly followed their leaders to the
worlds greatest catastrophe Some inno-
cents may be hurt, but that cannot be
helped. Washington civilian and mill
tary chieftains are in full agreement
that their principal job will be to avoid
q repition of these tragic years.
Only by sticking together can the Allies
prevent such repetition. AS far as the
United States is concerned, there is no
question that such an ideal is fully ap-
proved by the entire citizenry regardless
Of political affiliation.
Isolation Shown Impossible.
But there must be more good will and
full understanding among the Allies than
appears to exist at present. Exponents
of the policies of the administration say
that our isolationism must come to a
definite end. The war, according to
them, has proved conclusively that we
cannot live by ourselves, surrounded by
Chinese wall as our pre-war isolationists
maintained.
We have been the chief disbursers Of
money and war material to the Allies
They cannot be and are not pledged to
pay back the billions of dollars the Amer
lean taxpayer is giving them. One of the
principal purposes of the lease-lend idea
was to avert any such bitterness as
caused a rift between the Allies after
the last war, when we insisted-uselessly,
it is true-that the S20,000,000000 war
debt be repaid
Many New Dealers regard money as
spinach, and we'll may this thought grow
as the war progresses, but if the money
or equivalent is not returned to us we
have at least the right to demand that
the peace which will follow the war be in
keeping with our fundamental ideas re-
garding international fairness, with no
Of imperialism involved.
The Atlantic Charter still is some
what nebulous quantity in the minds of
many people, but the general impression
is that it pledges to all nations the right
to free life. The charter says nothing
in particular about colonies and protec-
torates, and the general understanding is
that when the Axis power is broken the
pre-war frontiers will not be substan-
TALLY changed unless the peoples of the
countries involved desire to pool their
resources or make certain mergers of
their own free will, without any coercion
on the part of the big boys" chiefly re-
sponsible for victory
Long Peace U. S. Hope.
This. at least. is the particular slant
the average American takes of the scope
Of the war though not necessarily of the
Atlantic Charter. While it would be too
much wishful thinking to imagine that
this war Is the "last war" and that the
worlds peoples have at last learned that
only complete disruption of economic
and social life results from fighting, the
people Of this country will expect a long
breathing spell in which the world can
readjust itself quietly to the great
changes wrought by the conflict.
Most of the "realists" in Washington
hope that our Allies will look on the
situation in much the same manner as
deavor to take advantage Of their power
as victors
In signing the Atlantic Charter and in
subsequent utterances, President Roose-
welt has expressed the most fervent wish
OF the American people-a stable and
just peace. But there have been dis
quieting straws in the wind in recent
months which make some of our policy
makers Of the old school fear that the
establishment Of peace might prove an
even harder task than the winning Of
the war
Specifically. since frankness can serve
good purpose before we reach the con-
ference table, there is some concern here
over the future attitude of the British
government regarding the French North
African empire. The United States has
gone on record-without any 'ifs" what
soever-as having no occupational de-
signs In Africa except where military
necessity dictates and that the area will
be returned to France as soon as the
Axis Is defeated and France returns to a
state Of freedom and independence
May Take Different View.
But there have been indications that
some high British officials think differ
eptly, that because of difficulties en-
countered by Britain in the Mediter-
ranean after the fall of France she may
deere small cuff not one or two
substantial slices-of African pie.
Strategic and military arguments have
been advanced to prove the contention of
our British friends. Europe has been
kept in turmoil for hundreds of years by
Just such reasoning-together with the