SIR,—If I am given the privilege of commenting upon some
features of the letter of Sir Maurice Amos, appearing in your issue of October ritth, in which he points out what seems to him to be the unwarranted and unreasonable criticism of the British Government's attitude in the Czechoslovakian settle- ment, as expressed in my letter appearing in your issue of October 7th, I would first disclaim any pretension of speaking for the American people as a whole or even as a majority, but I do maintain that the views expressed in that letter are in accordance with the views of great numbers of Britain's most devoted well-washers in America.
In his criticism of that letter, Sir Maurice assumes certain conditions to have existed at the time of, and before, the Munich pact, which justified the action of the British Govern- ment, which assumptions are seemingly unwarranted, as follows :
(i) That compliance with Hitler's demands was the alterna- tive of war.
(2) That, in the event of war, Britain and France alone would have borne the burden of resistance to totalitarian arrogance.
(3) That America would have been not only unsympathetic, but even hostile in such a struggle in defence 'Of democracy and sanctity of treaty obligations.
It is quite improbable that Hitler would have carried out his war-threats against the united opposition of Britain, France, Russia, and Czechoslovakia.
It is equally improbable that such aggression by Germany could have been successful, as it would have brought about an alignment of other nations in sympathy with democratic- ideals, which sympathy would have first expressed itself in economic assistance, and later, if necessary, in military participation.
The.suggestion of America's indifferent, or pOssibly hostile, attitude in such a war is wholly unaccountable when uttered by so able a writer and publicist as Sir Maurice.
If the Governments of Britain and France were afraid of Germany and Italy in these circumstances, what must be their feeling now as to future German and Italian aggressions, such as are already foreshadowed since the Munich pact, and how can they hope to withstand such aggressions, deprived as they are now of the sympathy and support of other nations, end with the almost absolute certainty that the power of Japan would be. arrayed against them in respect to their Asiatic interests.
The sacrifice of Czechoslovakia for world peace was a hopeless gamble, as is becoming every day more apparent, unless the erstwhile democratic nations of Europe tamely submit to all the demands of' Hitler and Mussolini and become mere appendages of the Rome-Berlin axis. If that Is the intention of the present Premiers of Britain and France, why waste money on increased armament which they will not dare to use ?-
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