If Mr. Wendell Willkie had undertaken his tour of the British Isles in conditions of peace, there can be little doubt that it would have proved a complete "flop." But'as conditions are today, Mr. Willkie's tour may be described as a triumph. The defeated candidate in the American presidential elections has been given a reception which might have honoured the successful candidate. No one could have been more cordially welcomed or admitted into the secrets of the British defence. To those who thought they knew the mentality of the average Englishman, especially the Englishman from the north country, there may appear to be something a little unreal in the demonstrations which accompanied Mr, Willkie's journey. At no time within living memory has there been anything like such enthusiasm over the visit of a foreigner who holds no official status. A large part of the credit for this must, of course, be assigned to Mr. Willkie's own personality. Mr. Roosevelt's personality has captured the imagination of the British people; and it also seems that his opponent for the presidential chair has done the same thing. This is no small testimony to the calibre of the men who are now at the head of American affairs, for it is. by no means an easy task for any foreigner to capture the imagination of the very conservative British public. Mr. Willkie's visit was entirely unofficial in character. It was the visit of a great man who wished to see for himself what was going on, and what a great people were doing to combat the attacks of the vilest threateners to all that the human race holds dear, that have arisen since the invasions of the original Huns. Mr.
Willkie came; he saw; and to a certain extent, it can be claimed that he conquered. But what must have been the impression made upon this' neutral critic by the calmness, the courage, and the humour of the people he came to see? To that extent, they may legitimately claim to have conquered. Mr. Willkie is returning to the United States in order to give evidence before the Foreign Relations Committee of the Legislature on the question of the lend-or-lease bill. His testimony will be awaited with interest. There can be little doubt that he was shown many of the most intimate of the secrets of the British defences, and he will be in a position to give first-hand evidence of the likelihood, or otherwise, of the success of any German attempts at invasion. He will, however, be barred from revealing any of the secrets of the British defences before any committees of his own country. He will, however, be able to give enough of the inside view of the position to give those who have to make decisions over the lend-or-lease bill guidance as to their future attitude. He will be able to say that Britain, at the present time, can quite easily hold off the menace of Nazism in Europe. But he will also be able to state that the threat is so serious that to allow Britain to stave it off without assistance will be the greatest folly on the part of all nations and peoples who agree that liberty is humanity's most priceless possession today.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.