VICTORY AND SACRIFICE
SIR,—The issues before the British people seem clear, and can be put in few words.
r. Defensive warfare will not bring victory. No doubt British morale under air bombing will be superior to that of Germany, but it will be some time before we can " give more than we get." Wish- thinking leads many to hope for victory in blockade and famine as the result of sea-power. But for this year at least the harvests of Europe, which forty days' warfare cannot have destroyed, will be gathered by Germany. And now that Germany means Europe our blockade is of diminished power.
The inevitable conclusion is that we must create an Army of three or four million men, equipped and trained for attack on the Continent. This will need immediate and tremendous effort, as it requires more time to train civilians for offensive action than to equip them. 2. Mr. Churchill and the majority of Isis Government deserve and will receive the support of the nation. But it is dangerous folly to ignore the widespread conviction that the party majority of the House of Commons merits neither respect nor confidence. Some dictator- ship independent of Parliament is called for, and will be gladly given to Mr. Churchill, and any Government formed by him, unfettered by party claims.
3. Have we the moral courage to face the issues? Propaganda replies, " Yes, of course! " But Marshal Petain has just told the French people: " Since victory in 1918 the spirit of pleasure has pre- vailed over the spirit of sacrifice, and people have demanded more than they have given." The Englishman is blind who does not see that these words apply with equal force to all classes of the British people. It is not too late to learn from the agony of France. The next few weeks will decide whether we deserve final victory, or whether Hitler will achieve in degradation that unity of Europe to which, as an ideal of democracy, we have given lip-service for twenty years.—Yours truly, Lister Lane, Bradford, Yorkshire. E. V. TEMPEST.
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