The Battle of Britain Five Months That Changed History, May—October 1940 by James Holland (z-lib.org).epub

‘I agree that this point is worth bearing in mind,’ said Churchill.
As Halifax glanced through the document he revealed his own lack of
military understanding. Britain’s ability to carry on, he said, depended on
whether air superiority could be established over the Luftwaffe. No, Newall
interjected, it depended on Britain preventing the Germans from achieving
such air superiority as would enable them to invade this country. Halifax
now blundered again. ‘If France collapses,’ he said, ‘I assume that the
Germans would no longer need large land forces. They will then be free to
switch the bulk of their effort to air production. What effect would that have
on the crucial question of air?’ He was being naive about Germany’s
relations with the Soviet Union and also the difficulties of switching from
one type of war production to another. Halifax then suggested that in the
last resort they ask the French to put their factories out of gear.
Any undertakings of this case would be worthless, pointed out
Chamberlain, ‘since the terms of peace which the Germans would propose
would inevitably prevent their fulfilment’.
‘I agree,’ said Churchill. ‘It has to be expected, moreover, that the
Germans would make the terms of any peace offer as attractive as possible
to the French, and lay emphasis on the fact that their quarrel was not with
France but with England.’
A clear split was emerging between Churchill, who was anxious not to
become involved in any dialogue with Germany or Italy, and Halifax, who
believed it was worth considering. The progression from this was either
fighting on or suing for peace, as both men were well aware. For the time
being, however, the discussions had to be put on hold. It was time to break
up the meeting: the service at Westminster Abbey which was the
centrepiece of the National Day of Prayer was due to start at 10 a.m.
Churchill and Chamberlain then hurried down Whitehall to the Abbey. The
King and Queen arrived punctually, both carrying gas masks and
accompanied by Wilhelmina, the Queen of the Netherlands. Churchill,
however, after staying for the first ten minutes or so, quietly slipped away to
be ready to meet M. Reynaud.
Halifax had returned straight to the Foreign Office, where he was
visited by Bastianini; the two achieved no more than they had the day
before. Soon after, Churchill was lunching with Reynaud at Admiralty
House. The French Prime Minister was, unlike Pétain and Weygand, an
Anglophile, but although he had not, as Churchill had feared, come to tell