With the precautions, which are being take by several nations, apart from those immediately involved in the European crisis, against the outbreak of war, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that the present state of affairs has reached a point much beyond that which was attained before the Munich negotiations prevented the outbreak of war over Czechoslovakia. That need not mean that war is now to be regarded as inevitable, but that there is greater danger of hostilities eventuating now than ever before since the end of the last war. By now the issues have been fairly posed between Germany and Italy on the one hand, and Britain, France, and Poland on the other, and while the text of the notes exchanged between Mr. Neville Chamberlain, and Herr Hitler has not yet been divulged, and will not be until the latter's reply has been studied, there is all the necessary evidence to be found in the last speech of the British Prime Minister to show that there is no wavering on the part of Great Britain and France, and that both nations stand firmly by their commitments to Poland. One or two correspondents to this journal have Posed the question as to whether Danzig and the Polish Corridor are really worth fighting for, and whether it would not be better to surrender them to the Reich, and seek to find some other compensation for the Poles. It can be admitted right away that Danzig and the Corridor as such are not worth the enormous sficrifice which humanity may be called upon to make if things take a turn for the worse, but if they are not worth the struggle, the principle involved most certainly is. It is intolerable that the business of the world should be held up because one dictator or another has some grievance, fancied or real, which he has determined shall be settled in his favour either by force, or without it if that can be secured, The British Government and His Majesty's Opposition are agreed in the determination that, once, and for all, threats and menaces of open aggression shall come to an end. The world, cannot go on from crisis to crisis, and Sir Archibald Sinclair has indicated agreement with the Goverr ment when he declared on Tuesday in the House of Commons that this must be stopped.
Danzig and the Corridor are but pegs from which depend a principle, and the world may see in the not too distant future the democracies again making a stand in favour of the restoration of the rule of law throughout the world in place of an international lack of morality which has reduced old time comity to a state of veritable chaos. Mr. Chamberlain's speech on the situation on Tuesday was a masterpiece of restraint, firm in its spirit without definitely closing the door against further negotiation. He did, however, make it quite plain that the Government has no intention whatever of departing from the policy it has adopted since the betrayal of the Munich accord. That was made quite plain when Great Britain and Poland signed the mutual assistance pact in the very face of the crisis a few days ago. Great Britain's commitments to Poland have now been so definitely formulated that it is not a little astonishing that Herr Hitler, and his advisers should now have any doubt as to exactly where the two nations stand, There should have been no doubt any time since the crisis first commenced, and also no doubt as to where the events turn out more sadly than even now is devoutly hoped they will not. Responsibility for the outbreak of war does not now depend upon who may fire the first shot, or create an incident precipitating war. It resis entirely upon those who have been responsible for creating the present tense situation, and when oMcials in Washington judge that the Prime Minister's speech is a fair, and accurate presentation of the European situation, and that the outcome of the crisis depends on Herr Hitler, they come to the only conclusion which is possible on the facts. The German contention that the responsibility will lie with those who do not concede what she considers ure her just demands will not do, There is a very considerable difference of opinion as to their justice, and no small degree of conviction that put forward as they are, under the menace of the gun, they cannot be considered until that menace has been removed.
Peaceful negotiation? Yes.
Surrender under threats of aggression? No, most definitely no. Can any issue be placed more succinctly? It is believed not; yet that is the real significance of Danzig and the Corridor. The desperateness of the situ: tion is to be found in the position into which Herr Hiller has manceuvres himself, His insistence upon attaining the objectives which he has set for himself, his stubborn refusal to consent to any conference which Rot predicated upon the granting of wh: he wants, and devoted merely to ascertain ing the manner in which his wishes shall be fulfilled, must mean that he must either recede from his present position or be prepared to fight. To do the former would be to admit a great diplomatic reverse, dangerous to People {6 believe that they are on the eve new results, fo resort to war means the plunging of his own people," and also the Peoples of Europe into a catastrophe compared with which the last war will be child's play, it has been suggested that it Herr Hitler does not go to war immediately, negotiations might produce a temporary: compromise. That is not to be desired, for it would be merely playing Herr Hitler's game The stimulation of crises as a means for Betting his own way has been his policy for all to0 long, and _no good whatever is tv be obtained by searching for compromises which only serve to delay the show-down which has to come sooner or tater unless the Dictators abandon their present policies So long as they persist in them, even the good offices of the King of the Belgians and the Queen of Halland have very little Prospect of success, for everything centre round the decisions which Herr Hitler. will have to make. A conference can only hope to succeed if it is held in a better atmosphere than at present prevails, and a conference under the threat of the huge mobilizations, which exist at present, cannot possibly hope to succeed. Indeed it should not be held in such conditions, and here again only Herr Hitler can remove them, The decision rests with him, He knows precisely where Britain, France, and Poland stand, and the di is in his hand for him to throw or not.
to be hoped that even now be will hold his hand,—perhaps but a faint hope,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.