I have also seen at least one other statement along the lines of this one:
Finally, there is the desire, ever-present in the minds of the Conservative leaders, to win a general election, perhaps as early as next Autumn or Winter. A series of European pacts on the lines of the Anglo-Italian agreement could be pointed to with pride in an election campaign. . .
I guess staying in power has always trumped doing the right thing for future generations. Of course, this may just be the personal opinion of Ferdinand Kuhn, Jr.
After further reflection: There I go again, even after I'd vowed not to be overly judgmental.
This really just illustrates an unavoidable weakness of a free society. To overcome a general tendency to avoid armed conflict between nations, you must have politicians with both the wisdom to see the consequences of inaction and the persuasive power to convince a voting majority of the necessity for action. How often does that happen? Churchill might have taken steps to eliminate Hitler from the scene while there was still time to avoid the big conflagration, but he was not Prime Minister.
And thank God for the free press, but they don't have to get elected (or take responsibility for their opinions).