PEACE IN OUR TIME
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] am most grateful to you for giving space to a review of my. Alternative to Rearmament.- But in the -review there is a remark against which I cannot help • protesting.. My proposal that this Government shohld be persuaded to con- centrate mainly on non-offensive measures that would reduce the country's vulnerability, but to avoid those measures that would involve serious regimentation of the people, is dismissed by your reviewer as a mere " pious hope." Surely to dismiss any constructive proposal as a " pious hope," without suggesting an alternative, is simple supine futility. I did show clearly the dangers to liberty that must arise not only in modem war but in the preparation for it ; but what does your reviewer propose to do about them ? He rightly points out that complete pacifism is no solution because it would " weaken the country that tolerates it and promote Fascism to resist it " ; but he himself makes no suggestion at all. If we really want both to keep British liberties substantially intact and to make the defences of Britain as efficient as they can now be made against the new dangers—and that is what; - I believe,- most of us want— then there is nothing for it but to persuade the Government of the day to adopt the policy outlined in my book, or to- work out a better one. I-have at least tried to suggest a policy of "• defences instead of menaces," which, by making Great Biitain much leis liable either to invite or to provoke aggression, would certainly reduce the danger of war and might restore the chance of organising permanent peace. But there is not much time to lose.—Youri faithfully, 18 Gordon Square, W .C. 1.
JONATHAN GRIFFIN.
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