• [To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR] THE FUTURE OF
PEACE Sul,—In his new book, The Whispering Gallery of Europe, General Temperley affirms that the failure of the League " has been due to the ingrained rehictance of any Govern- ment to run the risk of war." Is it not for this very reason that Herr Hitler, who is seemingly without such compunction, Is always in a far stronger bargaining position, as compared with the leaders of democratic countries, when periodic international crises arise ?
Yet we must not forget that, could public opinion find expression in Germany, there must be evident a vast number of Germans who regard the price to be paid for a continual demand for more prestige and territory with as much dismay es we do. If only we could bring out the personal aspect at the expense of the political !
It was the Prime Minister's personal letter to Signor Mussolini that initiated the rapprochement with Italy, and a majority of us believe that it was the wisest course to take, :wen if it did involve swallowing a certain amount of national pride. Might not the Government do equally well at this ;uncture, while 'General Temperley's three-to-one chance of Peace remains, by taking 'a similar line with Herr Hitler ? Would it not be wise arid reasonable to ask him frankly in a personal letter, as man to man : " Are you prepared to risk involving your cotintrymen. in an even worse devastation than the Great War, where many thousands of them must
inevitably suffer blind. destruction and mutilation and the standard of life be put back again, perhaps irretrievably, before a supreme effort has been made to negotiate a settlement and avoid it ? " Surely no sincere and responsible leader (and Herr Hitler is certainly that) would be willing to incur the awful onus of a callous " Yes " ? It is so obvious that there is much more to be gained by peaceful methods, and infinitely less to lose.
In this country extreme pacifists hold that a state of war is worse than any state of peace, at whatever price. However this may be, it is certainly worth a good deal of sacrifice to avoid any further exploitation of war's frightfulness. The longer the fear of each other continues the armaments race, the worse horrors will science add to its resources.
Dr. Goebbels has recently suggested that it is becoming increasingly uncertain who really did win the Great War. It cannot be too much to hope that German philosophy will realise that no one will gain anything worth gaining by winning the next.—I am, Sir, &c., F. D. MERRALLS. Lynchmere, Sussex.
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