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From New International, Vol. VII No. 6 (Whole No. 55), July 1941, pp. 159–60.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
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“Wider still and wider |
“You had the Bible, we had the land, Now we have the Bible, you have the land.” (Zulu saying)
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“The British Empire shines afar, |
”A party of great vested interests banded together in a formidable confederation; corruption at home, aggression to cover it abroad, the trickery of tariff jugglery; the tyranny of a well-oiled party machine, sentiment by the bucketful, patriotism and imperialism by the imperial pint; an open hand at the public exchequer, an open door at the public house; dear food for the millions, cheap labor for the millionaires. That is the policy which the Tory Party offers you.” (Winston Churchill, May 8, 1908.)
NB: Churchill is the leader of the Tory Party today.
“The solid promise that we gave, not merely in the treaty itself but in a document which I took part in drafting and which was signed by M. Clemenceau on our behalf, that if Germany disarmed we should immediately follow her example, was not carried out, and there is no government that is more responsible for that than the present National Government which came into power in 1931 ...
“They had the opportunity. Germany was prostrate. The creation of this terrible power in Germany, the spirit which is behind it, and what makes it so formidable at the present moment is due to the fact that we did not carry out our pledges.” (Lloyd George, May 9, 1940.)
“Hitler’s success and indeed his survival as a political force would not have been possible but for the lethargy and folly of the French and British Government since the war and especially in the last three years (1932-1935). (Winston Churchill, Great Contemporaries)
“The British Government is a traitor to democracy and to the interests of its own country. It prefers to drift on without an intelligible foreign policy, engage in competitive national rearmament, fatalistically moving toward an imperialist war of the old order. Then I suppose we shall be expected to support it.” (Herbert Morrison, Forward, July 3, 1937.)
”We must ascertain what are the contributing factors to the present world situation, and it will be found that possibly the biggest contributor is this country, and not Germany, for one of the most potent causes of world disorder has been our dominant financial policy.” (Ernest Bevin at Southport Labor Conference, 1939)
“Above all, the Italian genius has developed in the characteristic fascist institutions a highly authoritarian regime which, however, threatens neither religious nor economic freedom nor the security of other European nations.” (Lord Lloyd, The British Case)
“I have always said that if Great Britain were defeated in war I hoped we should find a Hitler to lead us back to our rightful position among nations.” (Winston Churchill, November 11, 1938.)
“If I had been an Italian I should have been wholeheartedly with you (the fascists) from start to finish in your triumphant struggle against the bestial appetites and passions of Leninism.” (Winston Churchill, January 21, 1927)
“Both (England and Japan) are ultimately striving for the same objective – a lasting peace and the preservation of our institutions from extraneous and subversive influences.” (Sir Robert Craigie, English Ambassador to Japan, London Times, March 29, 1940)
“Many of Herr Hitler’s social reforms, in spite of their complete disregard of personal liberty of thought, word or deed, were on highly advanced democratic lines ... The great achievement of Hitler, who restored to the German nation its self-respect and its disciplined orderliness.” (Sir Neville Henderson, Government White Paper)
“The British Commonwealth has never allowed itself to be circumscribed by geographic limitations.” (London Times, November 5, 1940)
“We should never forget that our empire was won by the sword, that it has been preserved safe by the sword through generations, and in the last resort in the future it could only be safeguarded by the sword.” (Field Marshall Viscout Gort, VC, July 27, 1939)
“I will say a word on an international aspect of fascism. Externally your movement has rendered a service to the whole world. Italy has provided the necessary antidote to the Russian poison. Hereafter, no great nation will be unprovided with an ultimate means of protection against cancerous growths.” (Winston Churchill, January 21, 1927)
“We certainly credit Hitler with honesty and sincerity. We believe in his purpose, stated over and over again, to seek an accommodation with us, and we accept to the full the implications of the Munich document.” (Lord Beaverbrook, Daily Express, October 31, 1938)
“Great numbers of people in England regard Herr Hitler as an ogre, but I would like to tell them how I have found him. He exudes good fellowship. He is simple, unaffected and obviously sincere. He is supremely intelligent. If you ask Herr Hitler a question he makes an instant reply full of information and eminent good sense. There is no man living whose promise given in regard to something of real moment I would sooner take.
“... a man of rare culture. His knowledge of music, painting and architecture is profound.
“Herr Hitler has a great liking for the English people. He regards the English and Germans as being of one race.” (Lord Rothermere, Daily Mail, May 1938)
“But if I may judge from my personal knowledge of Herr Hitler, peace and justice are the key-words of his policy.” (Sir Thomas Moore, MP, Sunday Dispatch, October 22, 1935)
“Heaven help the Stock Exchange if it is peace.” (Financial News, August 29, 1939.)
“Investors in Lancashire cotton mill shares during the boom of twenty years ago ... now find that their holdings have increased in value by more than $120,000,000. This new boom is due to the increased demand for yarn for government contracts since the outbreak of war.” (Sunday Express, December 10, 1939)
“Disarmament following the war would seem unlikely, and with an excellent goodwill established with a number of foreign powers, with the Admiralty and with individual owners of speed boats, the outlook is promising.” (Chairman of Vospers, Evening Standard, January 25, 1940)
1. The quotations in this article are all taken from Oliver Brown’s War for Freedom or Finance?, published by the British Independent Labor Party.
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