The public mood – one of determination, perseverance and anger – is more robust than a month ago, especially among the working masses. England no longer has any allies to hide behind. No new allies are visible on the horizon and they are unlikely to appear there in the immediate future. England must rely on itself. This has forced the country to wake from its self-induced calm and recognize the menace confronting it. The result has been not panic or dismay, but a readiness to resist, which finds its most vivid and simple expression in the slogan: ‘We won’t allow Hitler onto our isles!’

The ‘appeasers’ have fallen silent for the time being – even in the City. In fact, Churchill’s prestige has grown immensely, for he now represents the full and definitive embodiment of the notion of resolute struggle against Germany, even though his motives and the motives driving the working masses may differ.

England has made big strides in its military preparations over the past month. Time has not been lost. There are 1.5 million trained and armed troops in the country (and on top of that 1 million in training), 2 million in the ‘Home Guard’ (volunteers aged between 17 and 65), and more than 600,000 women in auxiliary military organizations. The mediocre and worthless Ironside has been removed, and Alan Brooke

Alan Brooke, commander-in-chief, home forces, 1940–41; chief of imperial general staff, 1941–46.

has been appointed commander-in-chief. He is reputed to be a capable and lively general. The entire British coastline has been fortified: artillery units, anti-aircraft guns and machine-guns have been placed all over. The airfields have been mined, they are well guarded, and are covered by artillery batteries placed nearby: should they land, the Germans will be smashed to pieces by cannon-fire. Natural landing strips have been systematically ‘spoiled’ with the help of ditches, beams, barricades and other obstacles. All sign-posts and names have been removed from the main roads, which have been supplied with forts, bastions and obstacles. The cities have been put on a ‘war footing’. In particular, official buildings in London have been transformed into small fortresses. Forts have been built near bridges and at strategically important locations. A round metal bastion has been erected by the porch of 10, Downing Street. Rifle barrels, with bayonets fixed to them, stick out of its embrasures. The entrance to the B[oard] of T[rade] is protected with sandbags and machine-guns. The same can be seen at the other ministries. Air-raid shelters are being built on every street and their number is growing by the day. All approaches to England from the sea have been heavily mined. The fleet is concentrated in the coastal areas. There can be no doubt: the country has put up its bristles, and a German landing on its shores in the present circumstances would be very arduous indeed. If Hitler really does not have some ‘secret’ or other, I fail to see how he could manage it, especially when one considers that British air defence has made a big leap forward following the appointment of Beaverbrook as minister of aircraft production.

This is how things stand. In these circumstances it is hard to conceive of the possibility of peace in the near future. Hitler’s speech on the 19th, in which he enjoined England ‘for the last time’ to ‘recover its common sense’ and conclude peace, produced not the slightest effect here. Earlier still, the Germans and the Italians sent ‘peace feelers’ via the pope and Franco, but the British government replied with a terse ‘No!’ On the whole, it is difficult to imagine a ‘deal’ between England and Germany so long as Churchill remains prime minister. The appeasement outbreak in the Far East (the closure of the Burma–Yunnan road) cannot serve as a precedent for Europe. Churchill told me more than once in years past that he was ready to sacrifice British interests in the Far East temporarily for the sake of the struggle with Germany. He is merely remaining true to his word.

It is, of course, difficult to vouch for the future. It is hard to say what will happen if massive air raids begin, if the tension of waiting drags on and on, if things start going badly in the Empire, or if the British capitalist elite comes face to face with the threat of serious curtailment of its rights and privileges. But for now it is quite obvious that England is not like France. It will put up a tough fight against German invaders.