LETTERS
Winston's fears and hopes
From Mr Anthony Montague Browne Sir: Churchill's decision to fight on alone in May 1940 had a different consideration from the likelihood or unlikelihood of the United States entering the war (Letters, 13 November).
I quote from my own book, Long Sunset, page 200, when I was listening to, and Boswellising, Sir Winston's views in 1958:
On 1940 I played the Devil's advocate. Leav- ing aside the appalling issue of the extermina- tion camps, which was then not evident, would it have been better if we had joined the New Order, as a substantial part of France was then inclined to do? Would the mon- strous tyranny of Stalinism have been brought to an end, for Hitler most certainly would have attacked Russia and, unharassed in the West, almost certainly would have won? Would the equally monstrous tyranny of the Nazi regime have been mitigated or abbrevi- ated by the influence of Britain, whom Hitler had always respected? Would we have kept our Empire and our financial strength?
WCS's reply was brief: 'You're only saying that to be provocative. You know very well we couldn't have made peace on the heels of a terrible defeat (Dunkirk). The country wouldn't have stood for it. And what makes you think that we could have trusted Hitler's word — particularly as he could soon have had Russian resources behind him? At best, we would have been a German client state, and there's not much in that.'
Of course, he always hoped for American intervention sooner or later. 'But westward, look, the land is bright.'
Anthony Montague Browne
Hawkridge Cottages, Bucklebury, Nr Reading, Berkshire
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