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WHY BELGIUM FIGHTS 0N|
Civilisation Will
Perish If Nazis Win
BELGIUM'S surrender to Germany is still a story to be told
in full. Its effects are known, and, indeed, were seen
almost immediately, for largely through that surrender France
collapsed. Some further light is thrown on the action of the
King of the Belgians in yielding to the Germans by M. Spaak,
the Belgian Foreign Minister at the time and still Foreign
Minister in the Government that has been formed in London.
An interview with the Minister is written by Mr. T. A. Raman,
an Indian journalist who is the London correspondent of the
"Hindustan Times," and also a member of the Indian National
Congress.
"TTHE Belgian Government now in Lon-
don was formed in unusual circum-
stances. The King had surrendered and
was a prisoner of war. The Finance and
Colonies Ministers arrived first in London,
but the Premier and Foreign Minister fol-
lowed the French Government to Vichy
They reached Britain only a few weeks
before my interview. My first request to
M. Spaak, the Foreign Minister, when he
received me, was therefore for an account
of his stay in France (writes Mr. Ramant.
' He explained that two days after the
invasion of Belgium his Government sent
to France all men of military age who, for
one reason or other, were not already in
service. Altogether they totalled 200,000
and the object was to train them in France
A great quantity of material and ma-
chinery from factories in areas likely to
be occupied was also forwarded in the
hope of recommencing war production in
Southern France. In those agonising
weeks between the fall of Belgium and
the capitulation of France the Belgian
Government strove to organise this fresh
effort from French soil.
Events, however, moved too fast. When
the French Government moved to Bor-
deaux, the Belgian Ministers prepared to
proceed to London if France decided to
continue the struggle from Africa. Aftei
the French capitulation M. Pierlot and
M. Spaak did all they could to alleviate
the distress of the thousands of Belgian
refugees in French territory. Vichy was
polite but impotent, and at the end of
August the two Ministers started off on
their adventurous journey to Britain.
. * » *
"foi SPAAK preferred not to dis-
cuss either the fall of
France or the state of the country when
they left it He would only say that the
worst of their adventures began when
they reached Spain. General Franco's
Government informed them that their
request for permits to leave the country
would be considered. That was the last
they heard for several weeks.
The Belgian Premier and Foreign
Minister were first moved to Gerona and
then to Barcelona. Officially they were
visitors waiting for visas, but in effect
they were prisoners or Internees. A
guard was always with them and they
were under close police surveillance.
One day. however, the Ministers left
their hotel. They took none of their be-
longings and were apparently going out
for a walk. But somewhere on the way
Uley managed to elude their guards and
leave the country under a disguise.
"I am glad, so glad, to be in Britain,"
said M. Spaak. "It is glorious to be once
again in a free country and to carry on
the struggle in an atmosphere of resolu-
tion and confidence. After weeks or sur-
veillance, confusion and defeatism all
round, one knows how to value these
things.
Leopold, King of the Belgians (top), now a prisoner of war, and M Spaak, Foreign Minister, who tells why Leopold surrendered to the Germans and why Belgium is fighting on Help
Leopold, King of the Belgians
(top), now a prisoner of war, and
M Spaak, Foreign Minister, who
tells why Leopold surrendered to
the Germans and why Belgium is
fighting on
WHAT of the King' 1 direct-
ed the attention of the For-
eign Minister to reports that he was
about to meet Hitler
"We have never admitted,' answered
M Spaak, "and never will admit, the
charge of treachery against the King
which M Reynaud made The King
was Commander-in-Chief of the Belgian
Army On May 27 the position was
The French had been ciushingly defeat-
ed at Sedan The Belgian fiont was
being hammered by the German Air
Force, against which it was defenceless
The work of destruction was being com
ailinn limul mu um iimmmimmiimmmimiimwimi
I "Belgium Speaks Î
I Only From I
I London" I
I " A LL that remains of legal and i
§ *? free Belgium, all that is en- ¡¡
s titled to speak in her name, is in =
" London Belgium's fate and Bri- î
Z tain's are now linked Only the -
î victory of the Allies will restore ?
? independence to my country and =
? freedom to my King and com- ï
Z patriots"-M Spaak, Belgian ¿
!} Foreign Minister a
rum? II i i i i i i i i i iimmiiiini ? linn mr;
pleted by German armoured units The
line was broken in numerous places
There were no reserves AU available
men had been thrown in five days be-
fore Munitions were running short
The King had some days before told
both the British and French Commands
that he might be compelled to capitulate
And so he took this decision m order to
avoid the wasteful purposeless suicide of
thousands of his men
"King Leopold could indeed have
gone to France, but he thought it
would be the better and the nobler
tiling to surrender with his men, ask-
ing for no special terms for himself
"That Is the whole storv," summed
up M. Spaak "And," he added slowly,
that action had, I believe, at the time
the approval of the great majority of
Belgians still in the country."
I again referred to reports coming in
of a meeting between Leopold and Hitler
Since his surrender," he explained,
King Leopold has been a prisoner in a
castle in Belgium He has considered
himself just a prisoner of war, and has
not acted politically His presence in
Belgium has not so far hindered the
legal Government now m London in any
way
Rather has the knowledge that their
King is a prisoner in his own country
helped the people to oppose German
schemes and plans for Belgium We
have no information confirming these re-
ports of the King s meeting with Hitler,
and I consider them extremely unlikely
to be true
' It is true as you say, that Hitler can
compel tlie King to meet him But con-
stitutionally the King has no title to
negotiate on behalf of his country with-
out the appioval of his Government, and
any arrangement or agreement which
may be forced on King Leopold, prison-
er of war would not bind Belgium legal-
ly nor affect in any way the inflexible
determination of the Government to
carry on the struggle till the end
' Our cause is now indissolubly one
with Britain's And to Britain's great
and growing strength, Belgium adds her
contribution modestly, but without re-
serve Today we are recruiting a small
army here We are calling up all Bel-
gians abroad to join it We have an Air
Force already playing its part Since
August four Belgian airmen have been
killed in action over Britain The great
natural lesources of the Belgian Congo
are entirely at the service of the Allied
cause So, too, is our considerable mer-
chant shipping"
Recalling that the Belgian Government
had at one time befoie Belgium was in-
vaded persistently and hopefully tried
to mediate between Britain and Germany,
I asked the Foreign Minister whether he
saw any possibility, in any circumstances,
of a negotiated peace v/ith Hitler
"No," he replied "It has been de-
monstrated that there is no limit to
German aggression and ambition. Not
Europe only, but other continents as
well, would be reduced to slavery were
the Nazis to conquer. All humanity
will be bond slaves to the master Ger-
man nation "
'This war is not one between Britain
and Germany for political power It is
a conflict between two conceptions of life
and civilisation between liberty and op-
pression humanity and racialism, indi-
vidual freedom and state-worship I hoped
for long that the war would not so develop
into a struggle for elementary human
rights Speaking for a Government which
tried hard to avoid such a development,
I say firmly that there is no room in the
world for both civilisation and the Nazi
conception of domination One must die
No success ever seems to satiate the Nazis,
no compromise to satisfy their lust for
domination, no promise to bind them
Britain will have to triumph over them
so that nations may return to a moral
and peaceful existence," ,
* * - * -" ?- --
]y[ SPAAK commented on the
* so called Nazi "New
Order." "No one has yet told me of what
this 'New Order' consists. I only see that
it varies remarkably with the political
needs of the Reich from day to day.
"One moment it radiates comradeship
with Soviet Russia. But presently it takes
on the appearance of an entente against
the Soviet menace. Then again it strides
Europe and Asia in a fervour of regen-
eration, seeking to look like a sanctified
partnership between catholic France, Italy
and Spain under the aegis of the not-so
catholic Germany.
"Even for the Nazis this is a very
hollow propaganda stunt. There can-
not be any reorganisation of Europe as
long as downtrodden millions pray and
plan for deliverance from the oppressor.
Only the victory of the forces of free-
dom will prepare the ground for a sane
and moral international society.
"All the evidence I have proves that
the Belgian people are daily more con-
fident of British victory. Resentment
against the occupation intensifies every
day. The steadily increasing severity of
German regulations is the best measure
of the mood of the people. Our faith in
ultimate victory is passionate and our
confidence is unshakeable."
' M. Spaak has a reputation for strong
views strongly expressed. So I asked
him what, concretely, were the bases of
his confidence in ultimate victory. This
is his reply.
"First, he said "there is the wonderful
spirit, unity and intensity of British re-
sistance. To one who went through all
the confusion and degradation of the last
months on the Continent, this morale and
unity is life-giving breath.
"Secondly, the productive force of
Britain and the Empire is rising steadily
nntl fast and in a 'total' war, Germany,
with all her slave States, will not lie
able to maintain her present advantages,
in a not-too-distant future the Allies
«111 outmatch Germany in morale, man-
power and equipment.
"Thirdly, the great aid of the United
States is becoming more and more effec-
tive. The fighting in Greece and episodes
like Taranto proved that the Allies do
not lack initiative or audacity.
"On these grounds," concluded M.
Spaak, "and because of the basic fact
which the Nazis discount, that the spirit
of man revolts against their doctrines and
methods, one cannot doubt our ultimate
victory."
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