The only hope of maintaining peace lies in our being
able to convince Herr Hitler that a German victory is not a physical possibility, but that a general peace, honourable to Germany, can be made a physical possibility. We must de- prive him simultaneously of ambition and despair. The danger of appeasement was that it endeavoured to purchase momentary alleviation by successive sacrifices ; the value of the Peace Front is that it first creates a collective force demonstrably superior to the strength of the Axis and then offers the Axis the prospect of a durable and general settle- ment. In one hand we hold the sword ; in the other the olive-branch. Such a policy should command the support of all reasonable men and women. Our only fear is lest, when Parliament stands adjourned, the inner Cabinet may shift the olive-branch to their right hand and the sword to their left. * * * *
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