NEWS OF THE WEEK
S0 1944 passes into 1945. Not so long ago mankind hoped, and not without reason, that the New Year would dawn on a Europe at peace. That has not happened, and current estimates of the length of the war are not encouraging. The Prime Minister has reminded the country that he never predicted an early peace, and American opinion is settling on August as the term of the conflict. It is better that we should take a serious than a light view of the prospects ; both here and in the United States the good news of a few months ago has resulted in a visible and unfortunate slackening of effort at a moment when, even on the most optimistic estimate of the out- look, a final .concentration of effort was imperatively called for. As things are, the future may, after all, be more hopeful than it looks. It is not sense to say in one and the same breath that Rundstedt's offensive has exhausted almost all his reserves and that it has lengthened the war by six months. This, moreover, is not a war of one front only. It is that two-front war which every German has tra- ditionally dreaded, and never in Germany's history has the double pressure menaced her as it does today. The Russian winter-offensive has hardly yet begun, and the drive that has carried Marshal Stalin's southern armies to Buda-Pesth will not stop at Vienna ; meanwhile, the advances into East Prussia, and through Warsaw and Cracow into Silesia are yet to come. The uncontrollable chances of the weather may play a large part in determining the pace of victory in the west ; all that can be said about that is nothing is likely to have in store for the Allies as bad as what they have experienced in the last two months.
If for the people of this country the advent of 1945 prompts any reflections and reiolutions, as it is to be hoped it may, they should have one aim supremely, the maintenance till the danger is
over and the victory achieved of a national unity that is not merely a façade, but the fruit of a conviction that by unity alone can salva-
tion be accomplished. The deficiencies of the National Government are neither to be concealed or denied. There has never been a Government in this country free, from deficiencies, and never will be.
Nor will there ever be a Government that is not the better for tem- pered and constructive criticism. But the British genius for com- promise is not an idle phrase. Many things we would prefer to see different we wisely tolerate till the opportunity comes of changing them by peaceful and ordered process. Today the need is for such criticism, such tolerance and the loyal support of a Write Minister and a Government which, when all is said, plainly represent the maxi- mum of agreement attainable.
