An Appeal from the Continent
In his address at Reading University 'last week Sir Samuel Hoare delivered what he spoke of as a message from the Continen' of Europe to the people of Britain. As Ambassador in Spain. he has been living for a considerable time among a people who have had reason to dread at any moment a German occupation and in a city which is much visited by people from all the countries of Europe. In his opinion, the dominating force in Europe today is that of fear, an emotion which the Nazis exploit by every means in their power. Before the Battle of Britain he found a general expectation that Germany would win—she was held to be invincibly predestined to victory. The Battle of Britain restored hope, but from then to now .the, prevailing view on the Continent has been that the war would end in stalemate ; the will of the peoples to resist will not be stirred until we can give them an outward and visible sign that Hitler's war-machine —his land armies—can be beaten. Sir Samuel did not venture to say how or when that sign should be given. He was content to voice an appeal which he believed he could make in the name of the greater part of Europe, that we should redouble our efforts to increase the weight of our industrial material. There have been evidences enough that the atrocities committed in France. in Yugoslavia, in Czechoslovakia and all the occupied countries have already evoked stubborn resistance and sabotage, a mood which has been encouraged by the great fight of the Russians and the activities of the R.A.F. But what is needed is that desperation should be turned into hope based on solid achievement. What our next military effort may be, the ordinary citizen cannot tell ; but he does know that its ultimate success -depends on the unstinted use, under wise direction, of every ounce of our man- power and woman-power. So the appeal from Europe is—the same as Mr. Bevin's.
Previous page
