The Southland Times SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1939. The War Enters a New Phase

Southland Times, Issue 23948, 14 October 1939, Page 4

The Southland Times SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1939. The War Enters a New Phase

7MTR CHAMBERLAIN’S speech confirmed the view that has been freely expressed in semiofficial circles since Hitler put forward his proposals for a Nazi peace. There can be no compromise with a Government that talks of peace only when it has completed an act of aggression. “Either the German Government must give convincing proof of the sincerity of its desire for peace by definite acts and by the provision of effective guarantees of its intention to fulfil its undertakings,” said the Prime Minister, “or we must persevere in our duty to the end. It is for Germany to make her choice.” After such a plain statement it would be reasonable to expect an intensification of warfare, and the long-predicted offensive may shortly take place in the west. There may also be a series of determined air attacks on the British Fleet. But the war has taken so many unexpected turns in the past six weeks that nobody is likely to be surprised if events once more move away from the probabilities. Although it may be unwisely optimistic to believe that internal difficulties in Germany will shorten the war the conditions for some such development are daily becoming more evident. A message from Paris quotes a correspondent of The New York Times who refers to the “serious differences” known to exist between Hitler’s advisers and the High Command. These differences have been reported at other times, especially before the Anschluss with Austria and the Sudeten crisis. They are now likely to be wider and more serious because the predictions of the generals have been partly fulfilled. Hitler has been repeatedly told by his military experts that the German army is not at present equal to an exhausting struggle in the West. And although many of the higher officers are known to have favoured a rapprochement with Russia they have never visualized it as an unequal partnership which would merely -estrict their own strategic opportunities while allowing the Red Army to tighten its grip on the Baltic States. It needs no great insight into military realities to show that the Nazis have had the,worst of the bargain, that the conquest of Poland has slammed the door in the east and raised a wall of steel beyond the Siegfried Line.

Inside Germany

Of even greater importance, perhaps, is the situation of the German people. Fed on promises of a quick and easy victory, to be followed by a splendid peace, they now find that they have merely reached the end of a preliminary stage The real German outlook was revealed a few days ago when rumours of peace swept through Berlin. Nearly four years of war were required to instil in the people the longing for peace which became a decisive influence in 1918. If the symptoms are appearing at such an early stage of the present conflict the Nazi leaders will have cause for anxiety. They have done everything possible to hide or distort the truth, to drill and coerce the population into submission, and to guard against the outbreak of civil discontents. But in doing this they have weakened the spirit of the nation. As the strain grows more severe and the grey war-time atmosphere settles upon a country hemmed in by strong and united enemies it will be increasingly difficult to rely on the surveillance and the secret brutalities of the Gestapo. Perhaps it is significant that both Mr Chamberlain and Mr Attlee were careful to emphasize the distinction between the Nazis and the German people and to hold out the promise of a settlement which would safeguard the rights of Germany not less than of other countries. “It is not part of our policy,” said the Prime Minister, “to exclude from her rightful place in Europe a Germany which will live in amity and confidence with other nations.” Mr Attlee suggested that the Germans should be told of their opportunity to stop the war. “It is not a choice of being defeated in war and of disappearing as effective members of the European comity of nations.” These and similar words will no doubt be embodied in further leaflets for distribution from the air. Meanwhile the prospect of a new and sterner phase of warfare must be faced, and there is need to remember that war has unpleasant surprises. But when the military, political, economic and psychological factors are examined in the light of present realities it is difficult not to believe that victory will come fairly soon, and that the German people themselves may contribute to it by discovering that peace and freedom can be gained together.