To the Editor of the Crimson:

Professor Hocking's recent letter to the Crimson seems to me to contain two serious misapprehensions.

The first is that the reported peace proposal was "unacceptable." But as Professor Hocking outlined the assumed German peace proposal, it contained the offer that Germany's present government (i.e., Nazis) would be replaced, and that her conquests would be freed. Such a proposal would not be unacceptable; on the contrary, it would be most acceptable; but it would be incredible. Obviously the Hitler government, at the present moment of victory, is not going to offer to step out, or yield its conquests. If any such "offer" reached the British it could be one of two things: an offer by some irresponsible group without power to guarantee any offer (and certainly not the army), or an offer put out by Hitler's own agents to appeal to honest pacifists, unreconciled appeasers and anyone else who might be lured by it into doing something to weaken the Anglo-American war effort.

The second misapprehension is contained in his denunciation of people (like myself) who can conceive of "no conclusion of conflict except the crushing of an enemy, even, when that enemy is ready to renounce wicked leadership." The misapprehension is in the last clause. There is not the slightest evidence, so far as I know, that the enemy is ready to "renounce a wicked leadership." Has Professor Hocking seen any such evidence in the press? Can he give us any basis for his belief? There has been evidence that many German people are not pro-Nazi; that many of them regret Hitler's power, and deplore the war. But from Shirer's "Berlin Diary" down through the lesser first-hand accounts, no good reporter has suggested that these people have any power, or (even) that most of them are not supporting a war they did not want. Unfortunately, once involved in it, it becomes a war for Germany, as they see it; not a war for Hitler.

There have been rumors of trouble between the army and the Nazis. They are, so far, only gossip and not backed by evidence. There have been such rumors since Hitler came to power in 1933, but if the performance of the army is any index, these rumors have all been based on wishful thinking. If and when the army revolts, turns Hitler and the Nazi gang out of the country, and offers to retire into Germany's borders then I for one will join Mr. Hooking in his present position. We ought then to consider negotiation. Charles H. Taylor,   Associate Professor of History.