Evening star., 1925-05-31

DOtWeen In6 Rnlne and the Channel--
that is, in the regions which are of
strategic importance to Britain her
self. France has so far refused to
accept the German proposal because
she feels that 2 Germany successful
IN eastern and central European
ventures would ultimately return to
the Rhine to round out her great en-
pire. Thus France regards Poland,
Czechoslovakia and Jugoslavia as hav-
ing the same relation to her security
as Britain ascribes to Belgium, Hol-
land and France in her own case.
Austria is Key.
But the key of the whole situation
hes in Austria. If Germany cannot
bring about the union of Austria with
the Reich, the whole plan falls to the
ground. If Italy and France, for eX-
ample, support the little entente in
insisting upon the maintenance of the
veto to such annexation contained in
the treaty of Versailles, the game Is
up. And that is precisely why all
German agitation today centers upon
this point; that is why Marx. the Re
publican, and Hindenburg the Ma
tionalist, both demand this union. 1t is
IN fact, the corner stone of the new
Germany, If there is to be q new
Germany.
The old Germany shipwrecked be-
cause it lacked the statesmanship to
preserve the perspective of reality
once Bismarck was gone. 1t chal-
lenged the Anglo-Saxon on the seas.
the Latin in the north Of France and
Belgium, as we'll as in Trieste and the
Trentino, where it supported Austrian
rule. and it challenged the Slav in
all the center and south of Europe
In the four decades between the
Franco-Prussian War and the World
War the Germans built up dream Of
restoring the frontiers OF the old
German Empire of the Middle Ages.
These frontiers stretched to unim-
aginable limits, while they resisted
Russian efforts TO liberate the south
ern SlaVs; moreover, at the same time
they undertook the construction OF a
colonial empire and a first-class fleet.
Bismarck. who hated the British and
desplsed the Russians, had, neverthe
less, built his foreign policy upon good
relations with both countries. AS a
consequence his hands were free on
the Russian side when he attacked
austria IN 1866 and on the British side
When he crushed France in 1870. But
in 1914 Germany had to fight France
Russia and Britain, and Italy became
a Zoe in 1915. And if no German will
concede responsibility for the World
War, you will find precious few
apologists in Germany for German
craftsmanship which failed TO pre-
vent this combination of powers in
the war against Germany
Germany does not want another
war with England. The memory OF
the hunger blockade will survive the
present generation. She does not
want war with France, because she
perceives that such war would
surely involve Britain. Moreover, SEN
stble Germans. like the same kind of
people in both France and Britain
perceive that another general war
would mean the ruin of all combatants
and the probable collapse of Europe.
But, nevertheless Germany does pas
sionately desire to be a great power
again. She is determined to achieve
this end. She might even in the
end envisage a new war in the west
If by no other means were it possible
for her to gain freedom of action in
the east.
Seeks Freedom in East.
But all German craftsmanship is
concentrated upon the solving of the
problem of how to obtain freedom in
the east without a war in the west.
Today France stands resolutely by the
treaty of Versailles, which is the mega
ton of all German hopes. France is,
in fact. the guarantor of the integ-
rtty of Poland, Czechoslovakia and of
the separation of Austria from Ger
many. The little entente. which in
cludes Czechosloyakia. an ally of
France, is the guarantor of the pres
ent Hungarian frontiers. The 40 0000.-
900 Of the little entente and the
10000. 900 of Poland are thus united
20 the 100000 900 of France in block
ing German aspirations in the east.
To lift the French mortgage upon
her future. as she sees it; to eliminate
the French veto TO German expansion
southwark. the French guarantee of
the status quo in the east and south
this is the whole objective of the Ger
man, and this is the precise meaning
Of his offer of a guarantee pact for
France, for Belgium, for. italy. for
Holland and Switzerland as well, if
this is required of him. Moreover, he
is ready to assent to a British guaran-
tee of this guarantee. which would
obligate Britain to fight Germany if
Germany attacked France again, be
cause under such circumstances this
British action could not be interpreted
as an alliance against Germany and
because Germany is anxious beyond
all else to get France satisfied.
OF course, the German does not
analyze his aspirations in the same
fashion others might. He based his
the population of Austria is eXclu-
sively German. upon the fact that
there is a minority of 100000 Ger
mans living beside 6,500000 Czechs
in the Czech part Of Czechoslovakia.
He bases his claim to DanZig on the
undisputed fact that the population
Of the city is German; his claim to
the corridor is twofold. that the peo-
pie. while Slav as 20 a majority, pre-
F@y- rII1n and further that
it is absurd to separate two millions
of Germans in East Prussia from
sixty in Germany. Finally, he claims
Upper Silesia on the basis of this in
depreciation of the plebiscite and the
undoubted fact that Germans devel-
oped the great industrial plants.
Would Cut OF Poland.
There are ten millions or Germa ns
in Austria, Czechoslovakia and in the
Polish corridor and Danzig, to liberate
those under Polish and Czech rule
aand unite all under the German Reich
this is the foundation of all cotem-
porary German policy. 1t assumes
that the Austrians desire the German
connection, which may be questioned,
but on the assumption that they do,
the case is founded upon the prin-
cipie of self-determination. 1t also
involves cutting off Poland from the
sea and leaving six millions of Czechs
an enclave in German and Magyar ter
ritory, while it would put a million or
a million and a half of Poles back
under hated German rule.
Germany, thus increased, would be-
come a nation Of 5000. 900. control
ling the outlets of six millions of
Czechs and twenty millions of Poles.
Moreover. its own interest would then
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