HITLER'S PEACE

Hutt News, Volume 13, Issue 24, 22 November 1939, Page 8

HITLER'S PEACE

Following Herr Hitler's "peace" , speech of October 6, the British Press analysed its content! and criticised its purpose. The "London , Times" opened its comment# by saying that "Hitler disappointed no expectations yesterday. The oration delivered before the sounding board of a dummy Reichstag was, as always, of immense length end exuberance. It consisted in part of a hymn to German military glory and a laean of triumph' over' the defeated Poles." One of the most striking portions of the "Times'" leading article was an appeal to history, in theap words: — "It is one of his less savoury habits to cqver with insults the vie- ' tim whom he has trapped, and stiangled. When he tricked and enslaved the Czechs his first care was to try to befoul them with abuse. Yesterday it was the turn of the Poles, his latest victim —and hi", last. Year by year HITLER has larded Poland with his assura- <es —'Poland will continue to exist (1933) . . . Germans and Poles must reconcile themselves to the fact of each other's existence (1934) .... We recognise the Polish State as the home of a great patriotic nation (1935) Poland will remain Poland (1936) .... Danzig and Germany respect Polish" rights (1938) ... A people of 33,000,000 will always strive for an outlet to the sea (1938) . . . and so on. Just five months ago he assured MR. ROOSEVELT that 'all States bordering on Germany have , received much more binding assurances' than any demanded of him. And yesterday? Poland is a State which should never have existed.. Her existence was always bound to lead to war. Nor is that all. True to his most contemptible trait he seeks to discredit Polish valour, naively explaining that he does not want any legend of Polish heroism to entwine itself 'with the memory of the defence of Warsaw, Moalin, and Hela. Unconsciously he belittles the German achievement by pouring contempt upon the organisation and leadership of the Polish State. But the chief offence of its leaders seems to have been that they refused to grant passive submission to 'revision', and that, to dictation, and this contention culminates in the Charge that Poland was about to overrun East Prussia, to conquer Germany up to the Elbe, j and to 'annihilate the Reich.' Will I ever a German believe that 1 ? This j is offered as the reason why Poland | 'refused to discuss' the notorious offers of 'appeasement', one of j which mysteriously escaped presen- \ ta'tion in the spring and the other ; of which was drafted but deliber- j ately withheld, on the eve of an elaborately planned and predetermined war." ! * * * # The "Daily Herald" of October 7, also dealt with the "peace" offer in its editorial column. "The Hitler 'peace' offer has been made," said the Herald." "Of what does it consist? I "It conies not in the form a clear , and detailed proposal to the Governments of Europe and the world, but at the end of a speech glorifying the destruction of Poland. "Herr Hitler is full of friendly words. "He seeks to quieten the fears of neutral countries by fair promises to them. They well kno"w how to value those promises. He makes— as fie has made before —a specific attempt to convince France of his friendliness, and thus drive a wedge between France and Britain. He will not succeed. "There is a proposal, but of a 1 I

vague kind, for a conference to dis- ' cuss colonies and ( raw materials, ' currency problems, international ' trade, limitation or armaments, the I prohioltlon of poison gas and sudmannes and* uoinoing planes . . . " , . . But Herr Hitler could had BUCh a conference beiore war started. *uMt was made clear to him by Britain. "He preferred war. ne preferredto follow the path of aggression and the tearing up of treaties which ne has followed tnroughout his career. , "inow he talks oi peace. But as he talks of' peace he' boasts of uib l-'olish massacre and declares that the future of that betrayed and ' uroken country and of watsern is one to be settled by Germany and itussia alone. To that Uiere can be only one reply. The people of Britain and France, like ine people of all civilised nations, aesire peace—but it must be an nonourable a just and a lasting peace. / "xr Hitler wants such a peace, let nim give an earnest of it in action | —not merely in worus which are with him of a currency too britue for* confidence. | "Let him withdraw his troops from i-oland. Let huu agree that j at the conference ne proposes, the restoration of Poland and oi (Jzecho-Slovakia shall come lii;st upon the agenda. , upon such a basis there might I be a possioiiity of a genuine conference, in which not only Britain and i ' i i France, but the great neural Powers could be invited to participate. j "But there can be no peace which ■is merely called to confirm the iruits of aggression . . ." j The editorial reaction of the "Manchester Guardian" was expressed in part in these terms: "The world has not been deceived by Hitler's speech. Whether we turn to the United States or to the neutral peoples of Europe, many of them speaking in circumstances that make speech dangerous, we find widespread mistrust, based on an unprecedented career of bad faith. Hitler's broken promises choke him. For he makes a proposal which stumbles at once on this question of confidence. He wants a conference and, before entering it, he tells us that Poland is i settled and that he must have his j colonies back. But this conference cannot be held 'amid the roar of | guns or under the pressure of | mobilised armies.' The man who ! makes this suggestion possesses the ! greatest military machine in the i world. He can summon it at a mo- j ! ment's notice. He has no need to ask anybody or to consult anybody. His successes in Europe have been ' due to his power of acting when he pleases, and how he pleases. He invades without declaring war; he moves his Army from frontier to frontier without having to give explanations; no pact or solemn pledge restrains him. What, then, would our position be if the Allies ' demobilised their forces in front of | a man who has only to lift his hand to set the greatest Army in the world on the march i What surprises would not the master of all this energy and power spring upon tne world when it suited him to strike again? Would the conference ever meet? If it met, in what atmosphere would it confer? "... The demand that he must be allowed to do what he likes with Polalnd and Czecho-Slovakia must be resisted as firmly as any direct threat to our immediate interests. His description of his treatment of Czecho-Slovakia is an excellent illustration of what he means when

1, j he askes us to leave the East to i him. 'Germany has not only restored peace and order in its protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, but above all prepared the ground for fresh economic prosperity and for an ever-closer understanding between the two nations.' No doubt he plans a similar paradise for other neighbours if his plans are j not upset by the Allies." 1