J A N U A R Y 6. 1 9 4 1

T I M E T H E W E E K L Y N E W S M A G A Z I N E

M A N OF T H E Y E A R

Blood, to i l , tears, sweat—and untold courage. (Foreign News)

METAXAS. BEVIN, HITLER, ROOSEVELT In 1040, runners-up.

GREAT BRITAIN Man of the Year (See Cover)

Those who w r i t e h i s t o r y w i t h words sometimes forget t h a t h i s t o r y is made w i t h words. T h e course of the 20th Cen­t u r y has been shaped b y three stupendous movements . Each m o v e m e n t has been led b y a m a n of words, who used words as i n s t r u m e n t s of po l i cy , of persuasion and of power, who epitomized the character of his m o v e m e n t i n words of historic s i m ­p l i c i t y . • I n the a u t u m n of 1917. i n Smolny I n ­s t i t u t e i n Petrograd. N i k o l a i L e n i n q u i e t l y said: We shall now proceed to construct the Socialist State. • I n the a u t u m n of 1924, i n Landsberg Fortress i n Bavar ia , A d o l f H i t l e r wrote i n Mein Kampf: I , however, resolved now to become a politician. • O n M a y 13, 1940, i n his first s tatement as Pr ime M i n i s t e r t o the B r i t i s h House of Commons, W i n s t o n L e o n a r d Spencer C h u r c h i l l declared: / have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.

Those eleven b u r n i n g words summed up the nature of B r i t a i n ' s war, t u r n e d B r i t ­ain's back on the weaknesses of the past, set her face t o w a r d the u n k n o w n f u t u r e .

Because of them the rest of that speech has been forgot ten . I t should n o t be for­got ten, f o r i t is n o t o n l y a great example of W i n s t o n Churchi l l ' s eloquence, b u t the epitome of the m o v e m e n t w h i c h he leads.

A f t e r a brief report on the f o r m a t i o n of his G o v e r n m e n t , W i n s t o n C h u r c h i l l said: " Y o u ask. w h a t is our pol icy? I say i t is t o wage war b y land, sea and a i r — w a r w i t h all our m i g h t and w i t h a l l the strength God has given u s — a n d to wage war against a monstrous t y r a n n y never surpassed i n the dark and lamentable catalogue of h u m a n crime. T h a t is our po l i cy .

" Y o u ask. what is our aim? I can an­swer i n one w o r d . I t is v i c t o r y . V i c t o r y at a l l costs. V i c t o r y i n spite of a l l terrors. V i c t o r y , however long and hard the road m a y be. for w i t h o u t v i c t o r y there is no s u r v i v a l .

" L e t t h a t be realized. N o s u r v i v a l for the B r i t i s h E m p i r e , no s u r v i v a l f o r a l l t h a t the B r i t i s h E m p i r e has stood for , no s u r v i v a l for the urge, the impulse of the ages, t h a t m a n k i n d shall m o v e f o r w a r d t o w a r d his g o a l . "

December 31, 1940, was n o t o n l y the end of a year; i t was the end of a decade — t h e m o s t t e r r i f y i n g of the 20th C e n t u r y . T h e decade w h i c h ended i n 1920 had seen a war t h a t was t o prove inconclusive. I t

had seen a r e v o l u t i o n t h a t was to lie quiescent after establishing itself i n the largest c o u n t r y of the w o r l d . T h e decade w h i c h ended i n 1930 was one of confusion and wasted e n e r g y — t h e wasted energy of gambl ing and g i n - d r i n k i n g i n the U . S., of c i v i l war i n the Far East, of misdirected r e v o l u t i o n a r y effort f r o m the U . S. S. R., of the a t t e m p t i n Europe t o h o l d resur­gent peoples i n check. T h e decade w h i c h ended this week saw the fa i lure of t h a t a t t e m p t and the unleashing of ruthless war. I t saw the Far East's b a t t l e of war­lords t u r n i n t o a war for the supremacy of one people. I t saw the U . S. t u r n t o a feverish effort to p r o t e c t i tsel f and i ts neighbors. I t saw, i n the B a t t l e of B r i t a i n , the l i f e - & - d e a t h struggle of the greatest empire the w o r l d has ever k n o w n .

The Candidates of 1940. N o a r t i s t , no athlete, no scientist, o n l y a m a n whose place was on the stage of w o r l d pol i t ics , could be M a n of 1940—last and stormiest year of a s t o r m y decade.

T h e obvious U . S. candidate f o r t h a t t i t l e was F r a n k l i n Delano Roosevelt, who got himself elected for an unprecedented t h i r d t e r m . B u t F r a n k l i n Roosevelt 's other accomplishments of 1940 were not breath­t a k i n g .

O n the score of leadership W e n d e l l

GAMELIN, MUSSOLINI, LEWIS, ALMAZAN In 1Q40, flops.

T I M E , January 6, 1941

GERMANY'S ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY* They dished it out.

W i l l k i e , who, a l though a businessman, con­v i n c e d 22 ,500,000 voters that he spoke for a v i t a l cause, p e r f o r m e d more s t r i k i n g l y . B u t in the end W i l l k i e d i d not succeed i n leading his crusade to v i c t o r y .

The great accomplishments of 1940 be­longed, i f anywhere, across the waters as they d i d i n 1938 when M a n of the Year H i t l e r conquered w i t h o u t f ight ing i n Aus­t r i a and at M u n i c h , as they d i d i n 1939 when M a n of the Year Sta l in got ha l f of Poland b y a shrewd deal and a free hand t o w o r k his w i l l on F i n l a n d . B u t 1940 d i d n o t f a l l l ike a p l u m i n t o the lap of the D i c t a t o r s . One of t h e m , Beni to M u s s o l i n i , t h i n k i n g conquest was easy, p r o v e d the year's greatest flop. A n o t h e r , Joseph Sta­l i n , lost several teeth before he chewed off an edge of t o u g h l i t t l e F i n l a n d . A t h i r d , A d o l f H i t l e r , was more successful.

H i t l e r d u r i n g the year conquered five nations by a r m s — a m o n g t h e m France, his m o s t p o w e r f u l opponent on the Con­

t i n e n t — a n d subjugated p a r t of the B a l ­kans b y threats. H i s conquests were on a par w i t h those of Napoleon Bonaparte . B u t i n one v i t a l respect he fa i led . H e d i d not master B r i t a i n , as scheduled, before the summer was out . H e d i d n o t b r i n g the war t o a v i c t o r i o u s conclusion. A t year's end he had a t i r i n g people at home, and a war abroad, a war w h i c h , unless he could end i t s w i f t l y , m i g h t u l t i m a t e l y prove Germany's undoing . A l l his v ictor ies had not saved h i m f r o m jeopardy nor w o n h i m real success. Before the end of f a t e f u l 1941 H i t l e r m a y be M a n of the C e n t u r y — i f B r i t a i n fal ls . I f B r i t a i n s t i l l stands at the end of 1941, A d o l f H i t l e r m a y be on his way t o j o i n the dist inguished company of Beni to M u s s o l i n i , Generals Gamel in and A l m a z a n , and John L l e w e l l y n Lewis , those men of h igh hopes who fai led to come t h r o u g h i n the crisis year of 1940.

* Fie ld Marsha] von Brauchitsch. Reich M a r ­shal G o r i n g , Grand A d m i r a l Raeder.

A m o n g other Europeans who had made the ir m a r k i n 1940, one was short , squat General J o h n Meta.xas. Premier of the Greeks, who had made a m o n k e y of Beni­to M u s s o l i n i . Another was B r i t a i n ' s U n i o n Leader Ernest B e v i n . who became a tower of strength i n B r i t a i n ' s Government , who r a l l i e d L a b o r t o B r i t a i n ' s cause, w h o be­came a symbol of the b r e a k d o w n of class dist inct ions b y w h i c h B r i t a i n achieved a new u n i t y t o fight her b a t t l e .

Y e t the curious fact was that i n most men's minds everywhere—even i n Ger­m a n y , to judge b y N a z i d e n u n c i a t i o n s — W i n s t o n C h u r c h i l l outranked a l l others as M a n of 1940. H e came to power as Pr ime M i n i s t e r j u s t as the B l i t z k r i e g descended upon B r i t a i n ' s outposts. I n his first few weeks i n office they toppled about h i m l ike ninepins. N o r w a y had already been lost . T h e n f e l l The Nether lands, B e l g i u m , France.

Against this r o l l call of defeats, a l l the victories which C h u r c h i l l gave his c o u n t r y m e n , aside f r o m isolated successes at sea, were such t h a t any Cockney could count them on his t h u m b s : 1) the gallant evacuation at D u n k i r k , real ly a disaster i n w h i c h , a l though upwards of 335.000 men were saved, the equipment of v i r t u a l ­l y the ent ire B r i t i s h E x p e d i t i o n a r y Force was lost ; 2 ) the B a t t l e of the M a r m a r i c a w h i c h smashed the I t a l i a n A r m y i n E g y p t .

B u t C h u r c h i l l was n o t w i t h o u t ac­compl ishment . H e gave his c o u n t r y m e n exactly w h a t he promised t h e m — b l o o d , t o i l , tears, s w e a t — a n d one t h i n g m o r e : u n t o l d courage. I t was the last t h a t counted, not o n l y i n B r i t a i n b u t i n democ­racies t h r o u g h o u t the w o r l d .

One evening just before year's end m i l ­lions of U . S. citizens sat silent before the ir radios and heard their President i d e n t i f y the f u t u r e of the ir c o u n t r y w i t h the f u t u r e of Great B r i t a i n (see p. p ) . B u t more than six months before, when France was t o t t e r i n g , i t was W i n s t o n C h u r c h i l l w h o raised his brandy-harsh voice and made t h a t ident i f i ca t ion real, saying:

" W e shall defend our island whatever the cost m a y be; we shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, i n streets and on the hi l l s . W e shall never surrender a n d even i f , w h i c h I do not for the m o m e n t be­lieve, this island or a large part of i t were subjugated and starving, then our empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded b y the B r i t i s h Fleet, w i l l carry on the struggle u n t i l i n God's good t i m e the N e w W o r l d , w i t h a l l its power and m i g h t , sets f o r t h t o the l i b e r a t i o n and rescue of the O l d . "

Anglo-American. As a symbol of A n g l o -A m e r i c a n u n i t y W i n s t o n C h u r c h i l l is a paradox because his A m e r i c a n i s m is more B r i t i s h t h a n A m e r i c a n — m o r e B r i t i s h , even, t h a n average-Brit ish. T h i s seven-m o n t h c h i l d of a B r i t i s h peer and an A m e r ­ican heiress went back t o El izabethan t imes to find his s p i r i t u a l forebears; he grew t o m a t u r i t y w i t h a s tomach f o r strong food and d r i n k , w i t h a lust for ad­venture , w i t h a tongue and pen t h a t

T I M E , January 6, 1941

shaped the Engl ish language i n t o the v i r i l e patterns of a D o n n e , a M a r l o w e or a Shakespeare. H i s father he worshiped, b u t never got close t o ; his m o t h e r he respect­f u l l y a d m i r e d .

H e had money, a name and a flair for p u b l i c i t y ; he had L o r d R a n d o l p h Church­i l l ' s " force , caprice and c h a r m " ; and he had an incomparable g i f t for words. D u r ­ing his years of eclipse between the t w o W o r l d Wars he was an art iculate and con­sistent cr i t ic of B r i t i s h E m p i r e po l i cy , the most feared p o l i t i c i a n in B r i t a i n b y the n a r r o w - m i n d e d men who made t h a t pol icy . H e was the one m a n i n the B r i t i s h E m p i r e most obviously equipped to lead the E m p i r e i n war. and i t was small credit t o B r i t a i n t h a t he was not chosen to lead i t u n t i l the E m p i r e rocked on its heels.

T h e year 1940 f o u n d the m a n , as w e l l as the m a n the year. I t f o u n d h i m speak­ing , not only as a B r i t o n , b u t as an A m e r ­ican, t a k i n g his words f r o m Oscar H " m -merste in and E d n a Ferber: "These t w o

great organizations of the English-speak­ing democracies, the B r i t i s h E m p i r e and the U n i t e d States, w i l l have to be some­what m i x e d up together i n some of their affairs for m u t u a l and general advantage. For m y o w n part , l o o k i n g out upon the future , I do not v iew the process w i t h any misgivings. N o one can stop i t . L i k e the Mississippi , i t j u s t keeps r o l l i n g along. L e t i t r o l l . L e t i t r o l l on i n f u l l flood, inexorable, irresist ible, to broader lands and better days."

War of Words. A d o l f H i t l e r a n d W i n ­ston C h u r c h i l l are the t w o men alive i n the w o r l d today who best understand the power of words as weapons of warfare. T h e i r techniques are different. H i t l e r uses words as poison gas; C h u r c h i l l uses them as a broadsword. Y e t he, too, can be cun­ning. Last M a y he wrote a letter to Beni to Mussol in i couched i n the sort of language Captain John S m i t h m i g h t have used to a savage c h i e f t a i n :

" I . . . feel a desire t o speak words o f

BRITAIN'S L I T T L E MAN & FAMILY They took it.

good w i l l to y o u , as chief o f the I t a l i a n n a t i o n , across w h a t seems t o be a s w i f t l y widening gulf . . . . W e can, no doubt , i n f l i c t grievous injur ies upon one another and m a u l each other cruel ly and darken the Medi terranean w i t h our s tr i fe . I f y o u so decree, i t must be so. B u t I declare t h a t I have never been the enemy of I t a l ­ian greatness, nor ever at heart the foe of the I t a l i a n lawgiver. . . . D o w n the ages, above a l l other calls, comes the cry t h a t the j o i n t heirs of L a t i n and Chr is t ian c i v i l i z a t i o n must n o t be ranged against one another i n m o r t a l s t r i fe . H e a r k e n t o i t , I beseech y o u i n a l l honor and respect, before the dread signal is g iven. I t w i l l never be given b y us . "

T h i s plea fa i led, but last week W i n s t o n C h u r c h i l l made i t again, this t i m e over the head of I I Duce i n a broadcast d i r e c t l y t o the I t a l i a n people. T h i s t i m e he used his broadsword. H e sa id: "One m a n and one m a n alone has ranged the I t a l i a n peo­ple i n deadly struggle against the B r i t i s h E m p i r e and has deprived I t a l y o f the s y m p a t h y and i n t i m a c y of the U n i t e d States of Amer ica . . . . One m a n has ar­rayed the trustees and inheri tors o f an­cient R o m e upon the side of the ferocious pagan barbarians. . . . There lies the trag­edy of I t a l i a n h i s t o r y and there stands the c r i m i n a l who has w r o u g h t the deed of f o l l y and of shame." H o w m a n y I t a l i a n s hearkened t o these words no one k n o w s , * b u t i t was necessary f o r K i n g V i t t o r i o Emanuele to make a plea for u n i t y t o his people and for C r o w n Princess M a r i e Jose p u b l i c l y to j o i n the Fascist P a r t y .

The Men. M a n - o f - t h e - Y e a r C h u r c h i l l does not stand alone. N e i t h e r does R u n ­ner-up H i t l e r . Beside and behind H i t l e r stand the German armed forces, the su­perbly destructive machine fashioned b y Gor ing , Brauchitsch, Raeder and hundreds of others. Beside and behind C h u r c h i l l stands a v e r y small m a n m u l t i p l i e d a m i l l i o n f o l d . H e is just an Engl i shman. H e was b o r n i n the c o u n t r y , or i n one of the b i g cities of the M i d l a n d s , or i n a grey house i n a L o n d o n suburb. T h e hands that reared h i m were h a r d . H i s food was tepid or c o l d : b u t t e r and bread, j a m and strong black tea, m u t t o n and what was l e f t over of the Sunday j o i n t . H i s boyhood was t o u g h . A t school he was caned. H e grew to k n o w h i s t o r y i n a simple w a y ; he grew to love his K i n g as he loved the m i s t i n the park on a summer's m o r n i n g , the hedges and the downs and the beaches. B u t he never spoke of these things.

W h e n the war came he d i d not l ike i t . F o r a m o m e n t he k n e w fear, then he l i t his pipe and poured himsel f a whiskey. W h e n the b lackout came he groused. C h u r c h i l l took over: the r i g h t m a n for the j o b . T h e n came D u n k i r k : a b loody shame. T h e n the stuff f e l l : St. Paul's, the c lub, w o m e n and chi ldren, L o n d o n afire. H e got m a d , b u t he d i d not show i t . There was

* N a t i o n a l Broadcasting Co. p icked up B r i t i s h Broadcast ing Corp.'s broadcast of the speech i n I t a l i a n , rebroadcast i t over short wave to I t a l y .

T I M E , January 6, 1941

too much to d o : business to carry o n , chi ldren to be sent t o the c o u n t r y , peo­ple t o be dug out of shelters, sleep to be got somehow. A b loody nuisance.

O n his behavior hung the shape of the f u t u r e . H i s c iv i l ized toughness, his bal­anced courage and his simple pride altered the course of h i s t o r y i n 1940. W i t h o u t h i m there could have been no C h u r c h i l l .

"Their Finest Hour." Great h i s t o r y makes great l i t e r a t u r e . Seven years after the Spanish A r m a d a an Engl i shman w r o t e :

This royal throne of kings, this scept'red isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little

world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands; This blessed plot, this earth, this realm,

this England. . . . I n times of ac t ion l i terature is the words

of m e n of act ion. A f t e r w a r d come the poets. T o the smal l men of B r i t a i n i n 1940 W i n s t o n C h u r c h i l l spoke words t h a t m a y l ive as long as Shakespeare's:

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves that if the British Commonwealth and Empire last for a thousand years, men will still say "This was their finest hour!"

T H E KING "I have seen for myself."

T I M E , January 6, 1941