Churchill's options
From Mr John Crookshank Sir: 'Old reporter', Frank Johnson, judi- ciously edits (Shared opinion, 27 May) Churchill's speech to the Cabinet on the evening of 28 May 1940 to make. his, some- what muddled, case about a possible ambi- guity in Churchill's position over the idea of negotiating with Germany, perhaps via Italy. After giving a 'full, frank and completely calm account of events in France' — to use Hugh Dalton's words in The Fateful Years — Churchill went on to say, 'I have thought carefully in these last days whether it was part of my duty to consider entering into negotiations with That Man'. Then, follow- ing the remarks, quoted by Frank Johnson, about it being idle to think that Britain would get better terms by trying to make peace rather than fighting, Churchill said, `The Germans would demand our fleet . our naval bases and much else. We should become a slave state.'
Churchill had clearly considered the option of talking terms but equally clearly was certain that this was the wrong option for Britain, even as the rest of Europe was crumbling, and America a very distant and still very uncertain source of help.
John Crookshank
North Street, Westbourne, Hampshire
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