The contrast between the speeches of Mr. Neville Chamberlain and Herr Hitler is the contrast between the two men and the geniuses of their two countries. On the one hand there is a cold calculated statement of fact; on the other an outburst of the usual vituperation which contributes nothing to the consideration of the issues between the Allies and Germany, but is rather indicative of those bad manners with which Herr Hitler and the German broadcasters have made the world' so familiar. Mr. Chamberlain has reenunciated the peace aims of the Allies. It may be taken for granted that they are wholly unacceptable to Herr Hitler and his accomplices, who, having badly miscalculated the firmness of the Allies regarding their opposition to the German invasion of Poland, are embarked upon a war of conquest, aggrandisement and the further spoliation of more European states. Herr Hitler again asked who declared war. As if that matters one way or the other! The fact is that Herr Hitler being definitely told the Allies would act if Germany invaded Poland, was led to believe by Herr von Ribbentrop that they were bluffing. Herr Hitler marched on Poland. The Allies declared war, The real question is then: who brought wat about. The answer is just as plain. Germany, who by her actions in circumstances of which her Government were fully apprised, made war inevitable. Not all the hysterical stutterings of fictitiously indignant German orators will hide that simple fact, nor gloze over the point that Herr Hitler himself admitted to Sir Nevile Henderson that he would rather have war when he was fifty years of age than at fifty-five. He asked for it and he got it. Up to the present it has not been at all to his liking. The Allies in their determination that an end must be put to this Germ: terrorization of neighbouring small states are prepared to see that he will like it still less in the future, and not all the bleating from Berlin will cause them to swerve from their purpose. The war aims of the Allies are plainly stated for the whole world to see. There is nothing humiliating about them so far as Germany is concerned, except in the swollen conceit of that country's arrogant leaders. If Germany wants peace the next step is up to its government; if it still desires war the responsibility rests in precisely the same quarter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.