My Life

My Life - Oswald MosleyMay I now ask the reader to consider what anyone in my position should have done,believing, as I did, the war to be a profound and possibly disastrous error; a difficultprocess, I know, for anyone who thinks my view quite wrong. But, given that belief,what could or should be done about it? We could, of course, after expressing our view,have shut up and volunteered for war service. That was easy for me, as I was in origina regular soldier, and I could have applied to rejoin my regiment. This would havedenied all opportunity to the British people of expressing their will to secure anegotiated peace, if they so desired. The war must then continue to a point which Iknew must be a disaster to our country. There was a real chance to get a negotiatedpeace during what was called the phoney war of 1939-40, before the fighting in theWest began, and it seemed to me right that some voice should be raised in favour ofthat course and that the people should have a chance to support it if they wished.It was emphasised on all sides that the expression of opinion was absolutely free inBritain, in fact that we were fighting to maintain these basic freedoms. In such asituation it seemed to me cowardice to be silent just because expressing my opinionwould make me unpopular. We were told again and again that in Britain everyone hadthe right to say what he thought, and in these circumstances a politician who shrankfrom speaking out might save his own skin, but would fail in his duty to the country.If I personally had been responsible for government in time of war, the universal callupto the country's service from the very outset would have been the methodemployed. I think it right, and it would have been done. If a government had so actedand told me, as a regular soldier in original profession, that I was recalled to myregiment, I should not have said another word but would have rejoined and obeyedorders. Directly I became a soldier again I should naturally have followed implicitlythe discipline and tradition of my service. But this clear-cut procedure which prevailsin all European countries does not suit the happy confusion of our political mind. It isshocking to say: the country is at war; obey orders or suffer the penalty of indiscipline.We British leave such crudities to the Europeans, and say on the contrary: democracyas usual, discussion is free for all, say what you will; but if you take our freedomseriously, we will clap you in jail under some sly regulation passed in secret sessionwhen Habeas Corpus has been suspended in a moment of popular passion. HabeasCorpus—the cornerstone of British liberty—is always there, except when it is needed.Before my readers judge whether our conduct was right or wrong in the difficultsituation in which we were placed, and whether the Government was wise or fair in itstreatment of us—fairness possibly cannot be expected in war, but wisdom is stillrequired of governments—I must tell exactly what we did on the outbreak of war. Thereasons for the hard decision to oppose the war have already been described, and neednot be repeated. The political dilemma it imposed on us was to be completely loyal toour country while we gave its people the opportunity to express their will for anegotiated peace if they so desired.We decided at once to issue certain instructions to our members, while at the sametime arranging an intensive campaign of public meetings in favour of peace. Theinstructions issued on the outbreak of war read as follows: 'To our members mymessage is plain and clear. Our country is involved in war. Therefore I ask you to donothing to injure our country, or to help any other power. Our members should dowhat the law requires of them, and if they are members of any of the forces or334 of 424