The End of the War
Some of the remarks made by Dr. Benes at Chicago University last Monday were in the nature of intelligent speculation, others dealt with certainties. The opening of what he called the " real Second Front " by the offensive in North Africa, and the ensuing air offensive, are already accomplished facts. His expectation that Italy will soon come out of the war may mean that she will be crushed by armed attack, or that she may anticipate total defeat by surrender. He sees .Germany falling back on her last line of defence in Russia, contending with revolts in occupied countries and insurrection at home, and, finally, before the end of next year, collapsing. The Czech President's forecast is a reasonable inference from the facts of today. On the basis of those facts, Germany ought to be conquered before the autumn of next year, and it is possible that the end may come sooner. We need to have not only the latest possible dates in our minds, but also the earliest ; for there is a great deal which must be done between now and the armistice. Although it is too much to expect that we can be prepared with chapter and verse of a future peace-treaty, it is of vital importance, as Dr. Benes urged, that the United Nations should have found solutions to all those questions which will have to be dealt with immediately after the armistice. They will not be few—they will concern the feeding of Europe, the punishment of criminals, the policing of disordered countries, provisional govern- ments, provisional currency arrangements, and a host of other matters. These, which should be settled now, will he only the preliminaries to a system of collective security which, says Dr. Benes, the United Nations must and will create.
