A PEACE OFFENSIVE?

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20922, 29 September 1939, Page 5

A PEACE OFFENSIVE?

' FATEFUL DAYS FOR EUROPE

GERMANY PAYING FOR SOVIET HELP WHAT MAY BE WANTED FROM THE ALLIES (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 29, 11 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 28 The world again waits while M. Stalin holds court at the Kremlin, but this time realising that the outcome is certain to profoundly affect the course of the war and Europe’s future. What he and Herr von Ribbentrop are discussing is not known, but it seems certain that once an agreement is reached Hitler will launch a peace offensive in full force. The German view is that the war ended with the capitulation of Warsaw, and the onus is now on Britain and France to decide whether hostilities should be resumed on a greater scale. The French press voices the opinion that Hitler will be forced to pay exceedingly dearly to obtain a final settlement with the Soviet regarding the delimitation of the Polish frontier. The Russians already are advancing along the Vistula River to the most advantageous frontier, but Hitler apparently is resigned to accept this setback provided he is enabled to manoeuvre a suitable diplomatic position from which to tackle the democracies over the question of peace. It is expected that Hitler's argument will be the same as that of Signor Mussolini, that the war has not yet begun on the Western Front but there would be no question of restoring Poland and liberating Czechoslovakia and Austria. Hitler stands to lose his great influence in the Baltic, for which reason he is fighting hard to limit his retreat before Bolshevik penetration. PARIS, Sept. 28 Observers believe that Hitler will try to get a shadow Russia behind the peace offensive, in an effort (1) to induce Britain and France to agree to the disappearance of Poland under German-Soviet domination; (2) the settlement of colonial issues; (3) the readjustment of commercial and mercantile advantages for Russia and Germany. Germany then probably would agree to peace for a number of years, but in the event of certain refusal Hitler would regard himself as at liberty to employ all his forces in the west.