LAYING THE TRAIN
[To the Editor of TIM SPECTATOR] SIR,—I should like to add my little quota of congratulations to Mr Chamberlain for the magnificent way in which he has worked unceasingly during the last few days, in order to avert war.
It is interesting to look back a little further, and review the events which led up to this serious international situation. Our Government have watched Herr Hitler, as it were, slowly and relentlessly digging a colossal land-mine, and they have said, " He means no harm." Then they have watched him very thoroughly fill the mine with high explosives, and have said, " It is quite safe, he is only practising." He has then very carefully laid a powder-trail from the explosives to a place of safety, and our Government, still watching, have smiled and said, " There is not the slightest cause for alarm." They have watched him take a box of matches from his pocket, and have said, " Do not be afraid ; his intentions are absolutely peaceful, for have we not his solemn word that he will never resort to force ? " Then they have seen him open the match- box, and carefully smite one of the matches, and suddenly they have realised he means business ! There is an unseemly rush to stop him applying the match to the powder ; they send our Prime Minister hurtling to Germany by 'plane ; they promise Herr Hitler almost anything (in the way of other people's property), if only he will stay his hand. And the
people of the world's democracies look on in dumbfounded astonishment !
Is it too much to hope that our representatives in Whitehall will learn a lesson from all this, and in future take appropriate steps to prevent any megalomaniac from starting to build a machine which may destroy civilisation, instead of waiting until the last fraction of a second, when he is about to set the machinery in motion ?—Yours faithfully, r Sussex Place, Slough, Bucks. H. TUDOR EDMUNDS.
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