Evening star., 1928-03-18
LONG PEACE FOR EUROPE
SEEN In TRIPLE ACCORD
British, French and German Cooperation
Declared Surest Guarantee Against
Any Serious War.

even TO disturb the German mind. II
the French still imagine that Germany
cherisheS the hope Of recovering the
old Reichsland. / confess that I have
not been able to find a single German
who even dreams of such thing. For
all. Alsace has been lost as Ireland
was lost for Britain. Many regret it,
but none seek to reclaim 1t. 1t repre-
sents an example of the failure Of the
older Germany to reconcile a population
which all believe might have been won
by wiser tactics.
Eastern Frontier Problem.
On the other hand, with respect Of
Danzig. the Corridor and Upper Silesia,
the German point Of view is clear. II
France and Britain desire that Ger
manv should cooperate with them in
the whole field Of European affairs, the
price, the fixed and immutabIe price,
ls the revision Of the eastern frontiers
To Poland the Germans all concede
Posen. That revision of the frontiers
should be accompanied alike by guar
antees OF free access to the sea through
German territory and the German guar
antee OF the new frontiers precisely on
the terms Of the Locarno agreement.
all assent.
There. so far as I can see. German
conctliatory spirit ends. There Is M
German idea Of reconquering the lost
territories in the east by arms. But
the German statement is that no or
ganization in the east. no permanent
consolidation OF the European situation.
possible without full German partic.
ipation and frontier revision.
The single hope for a peaceful re-
| adjustment lies in the possibility that
Great Britain and France, supported
Dy American finance. will exercise upon
the Poles pressure sufficient TO compel
| acquieScence.
| But II they refuse, the German alter
| native IS not disguised For them the
| opportunity will come when Russia re-
/ gains her strength. In that dav thev
see Poland caught between two great
and hostile powers and crushed as it
was a century and half ago between
/ Austria, Prussia and Russia. And in
evitably this possibility envisages close
and closer relations between Germany
and Russia. which all believe will one
day emerge great and united.
Possible Breaking Point.
And here one touches upon the oues-
ton which may one day be the break
ing point Of all present European CO.
operation. For France. the ally OF
Poland, the reorganization of Europe
must be under the existing treaties and
without disturbance Of the existing
frontiers. And today, France demands
Of Germany. as one OF the conditions
OF early evacuation Of the Rhineland,
an acceptance of the eastern frontiers
as the western have already been ac-
cepted through the Locarno pactS.
In recent times the growing tension
between Britain and Russia has led
British craftsmanship 10 perceive the
. value Of Poland and of the Polish army
as a weapon against the Bolshevists.
Along with this political development
has gone a growing economic and
/ financial interest in Poland
In the same fashion. the recent
American loan to Poland Is viewed in
Germany as nothing less than q dis
aSter for German hopes. Indeed. the
whole policy of Germany toward Poland
has been modified because Of the Brit
ish political and the American financial
support of the Slav state. Recognix-
ing that for the moment nothing can
be done. Germany has accepted the
hard necessity Of finding q working
basis with Poland commercially and ac-
cepting territorial circumstances for
the present.
But Germany has not accepted Po-
land, as created at NerSalIleS. AS
permanent fact. What AlSace-Lorraine
was for France In the very first days
after the German annexation Of 1871.
DanZig and the Corridor remain for all
Germans.
In my judgment the Polish question,
the Corridor question. as II has now
come 10 be known TO the world. conSti-
tuieS the gravest single problem IN
contemporary Europe.
tCopvr,Ght 1881