WAR AIMS
SIR,—The slogan " Destroy Hitlerism " seems now to express for many our war aim ; but before accepting it as adequate, we should examine its real meaning and implications. Presum- ably, it means, " Destroy National Socialism." But it is not sufficiently understood that this new economic system, like the closely related State Capitalism of Russia, is a product of the breakdown of the old economic system, which still, owing to more favourable circumstances, survives in Britain, France and U.S.A. Thus we can only destroy it permanently by restoring in Germany the old nineteenth-century, " liberal " Capitalism ; in other words, by " putting Humpty-Dumpty back again." Far from our being able to do this, Britain and France, after three or more years of war, will find themselves forced to devise some new economic system to relieve their own difficulties. In other words, we shall our- selves be either National Socialists or State Capitalists! Shall we then be in a position to " destroy Hitlerism "? Even if we have beaten Germany to her knees, we shall really have done no more than open a free passage to the Rhine for Russia. That is to say National Socialism in Germany will be " destroyed," only to be replaced by State Capitalism East of the Rhine.
The situation now is that the two very similar post-War economic systems, National Socialism in Germany and State Capitalism in Russia, have joined hands, as was inevitable, against the States embodying the old economic system ; and unless common sense intervenes, which seems at present very unlikely, the new and the old systems will fight for world
mastery. And of the two systems the old is far mere lik,lv to " go under " than the new—since youth has more vital:tv than age. This does not, of course, mean that Britain .1.1t1 France will necessarily be defeated ; but the economic sysr:n they embody is bound to be, if not during the war, then s,,,m after it. For if one thing is certain it is that nineteenth-cenruy " liberal," " democratic " capitalism cannot stand the strain of another prolonged world war. Britain and France are bound to develop into National Socialist or State Capitalist States. Thus, though we may destroy Hitler, we shall not destroy Hitlerism, or Stalinism, but be forced to conform to one or other of those models ourselves.—I am, yours, &c., Partington, Urmston, Manchester. J. C. HARDWIC.K.
Previous page
