Evening star., 1932-05-30
FALL Of BRUEN|NC
ST|RS WORLD FEAR
Efforts for Reconstruction
Believed Doomed by
New Cabinet.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

bY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
The fall of the Bruening cabinet is
considered in Washington official and
diplomatic circles as deadly blow at
the efforts of Ramsay Macdonald, Stim-
son and Herriot for a political and
economic reconstruction of Europe.
n It was known for long time that
Herr Bruening was able to maintain
himself in Office only as long as he
had the confidence of the President of
the German republic Field Marshal
Paul Won Hindenburg. The German
Parliament had become a negligible
quantity and the republic was run by
decree laws" suggested by the cabinet
and approved by the President of the
Reich. From the moment Won Hin
denburg lost confidence in his prime
minister and refused to sign any of the
laws suggested by Bruening. the fate of
the chancellor of the Reich was sealed.
This happened today.
Nationalism Is Feared.
Had the resignation of Herr Bruening
occurred a few months ago. the situa-
ton would have appeared less serious.
But today after the victory of the
French Socialists at the polls, the prob
able change of the policies of the
Reich from one of willing cooperation
into one of intense nationalism is
looked upon in well informed diploma
tic circles in Washington as one of the
most serious setbackS the policy of re-
conciliation in Europe could have
suffered
It is quite true that Edouard Herriot
could not have changed fundamentally
the French policy regarding reparations
and disarmament, but he was expected
to be very understanding about Ger
many'S plight and willing to 60 further
than most French politicians to meet
the Germans in their request for an
adequate settlement of the reparations.
He also was expected, when he took
over the reins of the French govern
ment, to be more liberal than any
French administration since 1925 in re-
gard to the disarmament problem.
Herrlot has not formed his cabinet
yet. II the Bruening cabinet had lasted
longer it would have been possible fer
the French Socialist leader to form a
cabinet with the most liberal elements
in France.
New Situation Arises.
The situation Is likely to change now.
The future German cabinet is going to
Re the most nationalistic in the history
OF the German republic. Men of the
type OF DR.. Hjlmar Schacht are men,
toned as the successor of Dr. Bruen-
ing, and while nobody doubts that the
nationalist groups in Germany are in
many respects abler than the men who
have collaborated with Dr. Bruening,
their presence at the head of the Ger
man government is going to fill the
French with apprehension. The much
desired reconciliation between France
and Germany, which appeared nearer
after the Herriot victory, is today as
far removed as ever.
1t appears probable that Herriot will
seek support for his new cabinet among
the moderate elements of the Right,
which will desire to continue tie for
eign policies of Mr.. Poincare ano
Tardieu.
The fall of the Bruening cabinet and
the probable coming to power of the
German National!sts also is deplored
!, because Of the reaction in Poland
For the last few weeks the relations
between Germany and Poland have
been strained because of the situation
in Danzig and in the Polish Corridor
The German Nationalists are suspect
Ing Poland of trying to frame up some
action which would give her an eX-
cuse to occupy by force the free city
OF Danzig, while the Poles complain
that the Hitlertes are preparing a
coup against the Corridor with Danzig
as their headquarters. 1t is true that
the Hitlerists have been very active
lately in that free city. The Poles are
reported to be in a battling frame of
mind. AS long as Herr Bruening was
at the helm of the German republic it
was known that he would not tolerate
any pranks on the part of Hitler and
his Nazis.
French Join Peace Move.
On the other hand the French gov
eminent was urging Poland not to take
too seriously the Hitler threats which
were described as political propaganda
II nationalist government is formed
IN Germany, it is very likely that the
Poles will no longer follow the advice
OF Paris and London and will consider
the Hitler activities in the corridor as
challenge which the Poles may feel
necessary to take up. Thus the cues.
ton of the Polish corridor, heretofore
considered merely as potential menace
to the peace of Europe, may become
within the next few weeks an actual
danger. Herr Bruening had always
maintained that the question of the
corridor must be solved some day: so
did most other governments. But it
was thought that this question eventual
ly would be solved by arbitration The
Poles have always maintained that they
were ready to fight the Germans alone,
If necessary, but most of the leading
statesmen believed that when the time
was ripe to reopen this thorny problem,
the Poles would be in a more peaceful
frame of mind. If the new German
cabinet is one closely affiliated to the
Nazls the Polish corridor is likely tc
become an immediate problem which
For