NEUTRALITY AND ENCIRCLEMENT
SIR,—It is an ironical reflection upon the validity of Nazi excuses for their aggressive policy towards all their weaker neighbours that not only the doctrine most insisted on, the danger of Bolshevism, has been belied and abandoned, but encirclement, too, is now reversed in its significance.
The Nazi leader in the U.S.A. has been boasting with customary arrogance that Germany alone is fighting three nations at once and "could take on and lick the whole world." But he omits to mention that she is also defended, involuntarily but as surely as if they were fighting for her, by the sur- rounding neutral States on all but the Polish frontier and the comparatively short Maginot line.
Mr. Wickham Steed has repeatedly declared that neutrality is the international crime. At the same time one appreciates the difficulty of Germany's small neighbours. Indeed, short of perfectly concerted action, it would be highly dangerous for them to do otherwise than declare their desire to keep out of the catastrophe. But it does impede the action of those few Powers who, in face of the threat to the world, have under- taken the duty that lies with all peace-lovers equally.
It is just as certain that Hitler, now very much concerned with the strictness of their neutrality, once he believes that he no longer needs its protection, will violate it when and wherever he likes. His worthless promises have so far enabled him to deal with his victims piecemeal.
Similarly, it is not easy for us, without local and complete knowledge of American problems, to reconcile U.S.A.'s declared neutrality with President Roosevelt's assertion that "every battle that is fought affects the American future" and "the peace of all countries is in danger."
Apart from the factor of distance, America's duty in face of this world crisis would seem to fall little short of our own. Surely if ever joint action without reservations to destroy this evil thing that threatens the whole world were justified it is now! —I am, Sir, yours faithfully, F. D. MERRALLS.
Lynchmere, Sussex.
Previous page
