My Autobiography by Charles Chaplin (most read book in the world TXT) 📕

Communists. If Russia is defeated the Asiatic continent – the largest and richest of this globe – would be under the domination of the Nazis. With practically the whole Orient in the hands of the Japanese the Nazis would then have access to nearly all the vital war materials of the world. What chance would we have then of defeating Hitler?

‘With the difficulty of transportation, the problem of our communication lines thousands of miles away, the problem of steel, oil and rubber – and Hitler’s strategy of divide and conquer – we would be in a desperate position if Russia should be defeated.

‘Some people say it would prolong the war ten or twenty years. In my estimation this is putting it optimistically. Under such conditions and against such a formidable enemy the future would be very uncertain.

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

‘Russians are in desperate need of help. They are pleading for a second front. Among the Allied nations there is a difference of opinion as to whether a second front is possible now. We hear that the Allies haven’t sufficient supplies to support a second front. Then again we hear they have. We also hear that they don’t want to risk a second front at this time in case of possible defeat. That they don’t want to take a chance until they are sure and ready.

‘But can we afford to wait until we are sure and ready? Can we afford to play safe? There is no safe strategy in war. At this moment the Germans are 35 miles from the Caucasus. If the Caucasus is lost 95 per cent of the Russian oil is lost. When tens of thousands are dying and millions are about to die we must speak honestly what’s in our minds. The people are asking themselves questions. We hear of great expeditionary forces landing in Ireland, 95 per cent of our convoys successfully arriving in Europe, two million Englishmen fully equipped, raring to go. What are we waiting for when the situation is so desperate in Russia?

WE CAN TAKE IT

‘Note, official Washington and official London, these are not questions to create dissensions. We ask them in order to dispel confusion and to engender confidence and unity for eventual victory. And whatever the answer is we can take it.

‘Russia is fighting with her back against the wall. That wall is the Allies’ strongest defence. We defended Libya and lost. We defended Crete and lost. We defended the Philippines and other islands in the Pacific and lost. But we cannot afford to lose Russia, for that is the aggressive front line of democracy. When our world – our life – our civilization are crumbling about our feet, we’ve got to take a chance.

‘If the Russians lose the Caucasus it will be the greatest disaster of the Allied cause. Then watch out for the appeasers, for they’ll come out of their holes. They will want to make peace with a victorious Hitler. They will say: “It’s useless to sacrifice any more American lives – we can make ‘a good deal’ with Hitler.”

BEWARE OF THE NAZI SNARE

‘Watch out for this Nazi snare. These Nazi wolves will change into sheep’s clothing. They will make peace very attractive to us and then before we are aware of it we will have succumbed to the Nazi ideology. Then we shall be enslaved. They will take away our liberty and control our minds. The world will be ruled by the Gestapo. They will rule us from the air. Yes, that’s the power of the future.

‘With the power of the skies in Nazi hands all opposition to the Nazi order will be blasted out of existence. Human progress will be lost. There will be no minority rights, no workers’ rights, no citizens’ rights. All that will be blasted too. Once we listen to the appeasers and make peace with a victorious Hitler his brutal order will control the earth.

WE CAN TAKE A CHANCE

‘Watch out for the appeasers who always crop up after a disaster. ‘If we are on the watch and if we keep up our morale we have nothing to fear. Remember, morale saved England. And if we keep our morale, victory is assured.

‘Hitler has taken many chances. His biggest one is the Russian campaign. God help him if he’s not able to break through the Caucasus this summer. God help him if he has to go through another winter around Moscow. His chance is a precarious one, but he’s taken it. If Hitler can take chances, can’t we? Give us action. Give us more bombs over Berlin. Give us those Glenn Martin seaplanes to help our transport problem. Above all, give us a second front now.

VICTORY IN THE SPRING

‘Let us aim for victory in the spring. You in the factories, you in the fields, you in uniforms, you citizens of the world, let us work and fight towards that end. You, official Washington, and you, official London, let us make this our aim – victory in the spring.

If we hold this thought, work with this thought, live with this thought, it will generate a spirit that will increase our energy and quicken our drive.

‘Let us strive for the impossible. Remember the great achievements throughout history have been the conquest of what seemed the impossible.’

*

For the time being my days were halcyon. But it was the calm before the storm. The circumstances that led up to this weird story started innocently enough. It was Sunday and after a game of tennis Tim Durant told me that he had a date with a young woman named Joan Barry, a friend of Paul Getty; she had just returned from Mexico City with a letter of introduction from a friend, A. C. Blumenthal. Tim said he was dining with her and another girl, and asked if I would like to come along as Miss Barry had expressed a desire to meet me. We met at Perino’s restaurant. The lady in question was pleasant and cheerful enough and