The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1940 Warning To Neutrals

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21558, 22 January 1940, Page 6

The Timaru Herald. MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 1940 Warning To Neutrals

IT is as invigorating for British people as it must be galling for the Nazi leaders to hear and read the vivid and picturesque phrases of Mr Winston Churchill. He is the only member of the British Cabinet whose war speeches have strong individual flavour and robust literary quality. It is no reflection on the administrative capacity of other Ministers to say that their periodical statements lack attractive purple patches. They say what they have to say without embellishment, but with Mr Churchill the trimmings count. It may be that he is just a little too anxious to get into startling oratorical flight, but this is a welcome contrast to the sustained formality of many of the speeches delivered in England since the war began. The same ideas have been repeated rather too often in unvarying terms. Mr Churchill, of course, is neither vulgar enough, nor stupidly enough disregardful of truth to be the British counterpart of Dr. Goebbels, but he can meet the Nazi Propaganda Minister nearly halfway, and this is the reason why he appears to be more disliked in Berlin than any other British statesman.

In his latest speech Mr Churchill made a timely appeal to those neutral countries which should be sharing the desire of the Allies to have the Nazis defeated. So far, as Mr Churchill mentioned, it is the small nations which have suffered most from the onslaughts of Nazi Germany, and it is fair to assume that what has happened in the past would surely be repeated in the future if the Nazis were victorious in the war. However, it is not easy to follow Mr Churchill when he said: “Neutrals bow to German threats, hoping that Britain and France will win, each thinking that if he feeds the crocodile enough the crocodile will eat him last.” This statement applies to few of the neutral countries, for several of them have made it abundantly clear that a threat of force from the Nazis will be met by the utmost resistance on their part. This certainly applies to Belgium and Holland, and no less plainly to some of the Balkan countries. Even Riimania, which a few months ago seemed tied hopelessly to Germany, has now broken away. The German crocodile is, in fact, greatly embarrassed by the general unwillingness of the neutral countries to provide essential meals. But this apparent inaccuracy does not lessen the effect of Mr Churchill’s warning, for his description of their danger is all too true.

Perhaps the most important part of Mr Churchill’s speech was that in which he virtually prophesied enlargement of the war. “The storm will spread southward and northward,” he said. “There is no chance of a speedy end except through unity.” The nations of Europe must already know that it is too much to hope that the struggle will be confined to the present combatants. There is no reason why it should be either. The task of extinguishing Nazism and then rearing strong ramparts against the spread of Bolshevism is one in which all freedom-loving nations must sooner or later become engaged. The civilised community of Europe has to stand together against international banditry, taking an example from any small group of people threatened by terrorists. There are only two alternative ends to the present terrible situation in Europe. Totalitarianism will either triumph over democracy or be vanquished by it. Neutral countries should have no difficulty in seeing which climax is in their interest. The fate of Czechoslovakia, Austria, Poland and Finland is not so enviable that other States would have a desire to share it.