Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-10
BY FRANK H. sIMoNDs.


IN ARIS.-The first weeks of the
- Spanish revolution have pro-
duced both dF psnn and strs grnye
of Spanish have flowed through
the French capital. Trains crowded
with homeward- bound exiles Of the past,
departing from the Orleans station,
have almost crossed with those bringing
to Paris the royal fugitiveS and their
devoted followers. Republican and roy
alist, the former triumphant, the latter
respondent, have supplied an impressive
human-interest detail. TWO hundred
and thirty-one years ago Louis XIV
decreed that the Pyrenees had ceased
grandson on the Spanish throne. Now
the last of the Bourbons has taken
refuge in France of the Third Republic.
French feelings about the change in
Spain have, however, been tempered by
very grave apprehensionS as to the ulti-
mate effect of the upheaval. Europe,
to the French mind, is now in actual
danger of wide-S%inging Communist
movement. The Russian revolution OF
1917, after brief stage OF republican
ISM degenerated into BolShevism, which
has ever since remained dominant. The
Hungarian revolution passed through
BILE suffering and misery was the red
reign of Bella Kuhn terminated. Even
the German revolution missed only by
hairs breadth similar fate.
At the moment all European coun-
tries, in varying degrees, to be sure,
are suffering from an economic crisis
of unparalleled proportions. Econom-
ically and politically France is least
shaken. Politically, Italy, with its
strong dictator, has so far weathered
the economic strain with success. Ger
many by contrast, is economically in a
critical condition, and politically living
under state OF martial law. More
over, beyond any doubt, Communism is
gaining ground in Germany Berlin it
self was carried by the Reds last YEAR,
though this gain is in part balanced by
a decline in the extreme Nationalist
camp.
If you look over the map Of Europe,
you win discover that on the Continent
ali governments are being subjected to
a severe strain; that what seems to be
taking place is, in the judgment Of the
calmeSt and most objective of observers,
a crisis in the whole capitalistic civil
zatton. The Winter which has just
passed has been marked by extreme
suffering in many places on the CONT
nent, and this extreme suffering has
only been kept within tolerable limits
by employment of treasury funds, re-
sulting in appalling deficits now to be
faced.
When one turns from the Continent
10 Britain, even If Communism has
made no greater progress than in
France, there has been an economic
disintegration which cannot be mis-
taken. More than 2,500,000 wholly I'M
oh
the trade reports for the first quarter
OF the current year have shown I'M
preceoented declines. AS in Germany
there Is no prospect Of even material
seasonal relief. In the Judgment of
the expert observers, the economic re-
covery in Europe is at least postponed
beyond the present year.
Now In this situation the European
nerves are particularly sensitive to any
new disturbances. That in part ex-
plains why the recent discussion over
the Austro- German tariff union took on
at once polemical and even a passion
ate tone. 1t explains in part the APP
parent collapse Of the Franco italian
naval agreement, which promised, at
least on the moral side, to supply a nee
essary and long desired relief.
Revolution in Spain-and in Portugal
as well-while it naturally has no wide
political Importance, does mean that
there Is real danger that a relatively
large area Of Europe, with more than
30,000,000 inhabitants, may now and for
an indefinite time, become the field of
domestic strife. This must remove
both Spain and Portugal from the mum
Der of available European markets. a
circumstance important for both Ger
many and Britain, as we'll as France,
and may serve to provide fresh encour-
agement for Communist agitators all
over the continent.
Tendency Away From Normally.
Patiently the supreme need Of Europe
is to get back to some form Of normally,
not only in foreign but in domestic az
fairs. But for the past two years all
the tendency in both fields has been
quite the opposite. Under the strain
Of the economic crisis the German re-
public has drifted into a form of dicta-
torship Of the moderate elements as the
sole escape from dictatorship of the
violent. Poland Is under the absolute
domination of soldier, Mussolini has
made good his sway. But at the other
end Of Europe both the Spanish and
Portuguese relationships have broken
down.
On the surface, seen from a distance,
Europe must seem to be going on in
about its traditional way. The Franco
German and the Franco-Italian Incl
dents serve to recall all the old pre-war
memories and methods. Over against
such incidents are TO be set the con-
tlnued talk OF disarmament conferences,