PEACE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1940, Page 6

PEACE TALK.

MOVE BY GERMANY.

NAZI-COMMUNIST TACTICS.

"WAR OF NERVES" PREFERRED

The following was written by Miss Dorothy Thompson, the well-known American commentator on foreign affairs, on the eve of Mr. Sunnier Welles' visit to the European capitals:

If the President"* move is interpreted as a big peace offensive, on behalf of immediate armistice and negotiation, that wiH be. most unfortunate. For such a mission now would have the nature of a Kunciman ini.-sion. -An armistice at this moment could only servo the Nazis and.the Stalinist*, as Kuncimau served Hitler's programme in Czechoslovakia.

Hitler is in a desperate situation. Peace talk ie iii the air everywhere, and. that peace talk emanates from Germany and nowhere else. The present Xazi-Conimuuisl war of nerves is being fought around the slogan of peace.

On tlio oho hand. Conservatives arc warned that unites there is an aruiUti<-c right away Hitler will turn Germany over to the Bolshevists, all civilisation will cullapr-e. and in a great Xibcluiigcn holocaust Hitler will pull down the whole structure of society. He is certainly cafiable of trying to do so, ajul he will still be capable, of doing so, and a good deal stronger, if outside pressure against him is relinquished.

Then (here is talk of Hitler retiring and being succeeded by Goer ing, who is now pictured as a pretty good fellow, after all. A No. 2 Nazi power and Hitler in a halo!

The apocalyptic pictures presented by these Nazi peace overtures only reveal the truth, namely, that Hitler has brought hie country to the verge of ruin, as any knowledgeable person has been able to foretell that be would. "Invincibility" Talk. A number of apologists for armistice now, among them some whose personal and financial interests are directly involved, have- lately been seeing the Preeident and have pictured Germany as very strong. Through them and others a curious defeatism is being spread about in this country that the Nazi-Bolshevist combination is invincible and that someone like the President had better step in and pull out the best possible j«-'ace for the rest of Europe.

No information that this column is able to ge tfrom reliable and disinterested sources in Europe—and from neutral countries, at that—indicates anything of the kind. Hitler is certainly capable of a move of desperation that can be highly unpleasant, but if lie makes it it will be out of desperation and not out of any likelihood of victory.

Germany hesitates to attack on a large scale because her generals and her economists know that she rune the serious risk of being beaten in the very first stage of an offensive.

Fritz Thy seen called this "the most criminal war in history," because he knows perfectly well how serious is Germany's situation. The Russian alliance is more of a handicap than a help. Russia is in a desperate state of disorganisation, with shortages of the most essential supplies. The morale of the people is indescribably low. Eren should the Russians succeed in Finland —as they certainly may—that fact would be of dubious help to Hitler. The German people are pro-Finnish, not pro-Stalin. Germany's Weakness. A little common sense and a little more confidence in democracy and free government would make " Americans realise that tyranny, Gestapo rule, military socialism and government by a -clique of racketeers topped by a psychopath are not an efficient combination.

Germany has an overworked population and an overworked plant, a dubious ally and a shortage of the most essential raw materials—oil, iron, food and money.

Hitler, therefore, tries to keep this fight on the terrain of nerves.

Hence his peace offensive. Hence the constant attempt to turn all who oppose him into "warmongers." Hence the gentlemen from Germany who say that unless this war is stopped immediately it will mean "the end of capitalism"— a line of talk that capitalists, who are notoriously timid souls and not alwavs very bright, rush to accept. For, it "is true, this so-called "imperialist war" is harder on capitalism than any previous war. But a peace that leaves the unprincipled crowd in power who have brought Europe to this condition would be even harder on capitalism and harder on civilisation, human freedom and general decency as well. Mr. Stalin is also carrying on a peace offensive, in the international war of nerves while Hitler's right bower tries to blackmail the world with the threat of Russia—which is no threat to anyone except as Hitler maW it so, because Russia is too weak to be a threat! And the combination of two deathlv weaknesses does not make power. "Intelligentsia Panic."

As far as I can see, the onlv place where the German war of nerves, is working is in the United States, where there is a panic among certain members of the so-called intelligentsia which is really amazing. They arc desperatclv righting to keep us out of the last war with their eyes completely closed to the very different nature of "this war from every viewpoint, and arc pushing for an arniietice and peace, regardless of whether there is the slightest possibility that such a move at this time will bring anything except further confusion and chaos, all because they fear that "if the war continues our boys will have to fight in France."

J ' J"! asked U9 to fi g«t France, and to save my life I cannot see where we would go to fight. \ neutrality benevolent in the economic rk"d to the northern neutrals and to the ~.?■. u e whol, y in the interests of the Lnited States and will contribute to the rap:d and reasonable conclusion of the war. A vivid interest in the eventna reorganisation of Europe is whollv in the interests of the United State* and may turn out to be very ninrii in" the interest of Germany, ,\,k-o tincountry has been released from j' t< psychopathic gaoler*. The people of the Lnited States Miould cowl- out fr.nii under the bod and look around. This i* a , rrv i,,. tcicilin- and very world.