The long conference between President Roosevelt and Mr. Winston Churchill will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the most momentous events of this war. It has resulted in the publication of a document Which may be described as consisting of one war aim,—the destruction of Nazi tyranny, and seven peace aims which clearly pronounce the doctrine that the democracies are fighting a defensive war against aggression which threatens their very existence. It has been sneeringly said that, in the eight points which the two statesmen have agreed upon, there is little difference from the famous fourteen points of President Wilson. That there should be similarity is inevitable. There is a similarity between the two wars which have inspired these documents. Great Britain, her Allies and the United States seek no territorial aggrandizement. Germany did in the last war and does in this, and it is inevitable that the declaration of the two leaders should follow lines already laid down by President Roosevelt.
But the document is of enormous significance as assuring the small nations of, the world that, when this war has been brought to the only termination acceptable to the democracies, the freedom of which they have been deprived by a brutal enemy shall be restored, that they shall be allowed to work out their destinies in peace and security, that they shall have equal access to trade and raw materials, and that the world at large shall work towards the improvement of labour standards, economic advancement and ial security. Self-determination is again promised to the peoples whose territory has been overrun, while freedom of movement over all seas and oceans shall be guaranteed. But of the eight points surely the last is the most important. Germany is to be disarmed. She is never again to be allowed to build up enormous armaments with which to menace again the peace of the world.
It is possible to envisage the type of peace which can be drawn up in accordance with the agreement between President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill. The mistakes of Versailles will not be repeated. Neither will the post-Versailles errors. If there were injustices in that peace treaty there were also mistakes in the non-enforcement of its provisions. Germany should have been stopped immediately Hitler commenced rearming. It matters not now whose was the responsibility for that failure, but experience has clearly proved that not only is an equitable peace necessary, with a disarmed Germany, but that stern visitations should be inflicted upon her should she seek to break any of its provisions. It was a grave mistake to perpetuate the injustices of the Versailles Peace Treaty for they were capable of removable, but a graver one still not to have insisted upon fulfilment of these terms which should have been insisted upon for the sake of the safety of Europe. The fact of the matter is that Germany, a politically immature nation, is not fit to be trusted with lethal weapons, and; apart from the necessary police force for the maintenance of order within its borders, should be completely disarmed and permanently kept so.
That would undoubtedly pave the way for lightening the burden of armaments which presses so heavily upon the peace-loving nations of the world. It would permit of vast sums going towards the social and economic improvement of people at present kept down by the need of huge and costly services for self-defence. This agreement then opens up œ vista for the future such as Germany cannot possibly offer. Instead of helotry and subservience to the much overrated Herrenvolk Great Britain and the United States offer freedom, security and the betterment of the lot of all the races of the world. Instead of fear and insecurity there is offered tranquillity and stability. Instead of every generation having to face the prospect of war there will be it ity of his civilization and the spiritual inspiration which is his. The way may be long and toilsome before the objectives set out are attained, but the alternative is so horrible that, come what may, those objectives must be reached.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.