Evening star., 1933-05-14
EUROPE DRIFTING TO WAR,
BRITISH OBSERVER FEARS
Author Holds Last Hope of Enduring
Peace Is in Return of RatiOnalism
in Germany.

into fear-Hitler himself says he wants
10 years of peace-is that very comfort
ing to the souls of men and women
whose sons, now in their boyhood, would
be the gun fodder of the next massacre.
in fields where the dead of the World
War still are thick, with little white
tombstones to mark their graves?
Is it possible that before the ruin of q
war to end war" has yet been cleared
away. at time when the whole world
is stricken by the economic results of
those terrible years, there should be
such madness and such badness in the
minds of men as even to envisage the
faint shadow the far distant danger, Of
its renewal?
II is not without mental anguish that
am bound to confess. as an observer of
facts, that / do perceive the steady
quiet and terrifying drift of European
nations toward another convulsion of
intertribal war
Europe and its leaders are faced with
frightful dilemma which is a heritage
OF the treaty of Versailles. GERMANY
has justice on her side when she de-
mands equality of status in armed
strength. That has been acknowledged
by her former enemies. 1t is a pledge
contained within the covenant of the
League.
Polish Corridor Question.
Germany also has justice on her side
admitted by many minds in France
when she demands a revision of the
peace treaties at least as far as remov-
ing the intolerable grievance of the
Polish Corridor as it now exists. Marshal
Foch himself shortly before his death
admitted that there, geographically, was
the root cause of future war.
A lew years ago. when Stresemann
was alive. when the German spirit was
less lnfiamed, when BRAND made gen.
erouS gestures toward the former en-
emy. some reasonable arrangements of
revision might have been made with
some security
But who can expect France now to
grant equality OF status to that nation
across the frontier whose leaders are
preaching the gospel of brute force?
How can treaties be revised in favor
all peace sentiment, all belief in in
ternational comradeship, are blud-
geoned?
Here are the horns of a frightful
dilemma. 1t is hard, almost impossi-
Bile, to make concessions to a nation
ruled by the bully spirit. But if they
are not made there will be war
One must try to be fair to Germany.
No human progress will be made un-
less one tries to understand the mo-
tives and the minds of people with
whom We have to live in a difficult
world. And it is only fair and true
to say OF the German people that their
present state of mind has been brought
about partly by the sense of humilia-
ton and inferiority thrust upon them
by the victor nations.
The reparations demanded from them
bled them white and caused great suf-
fering. The French occupation of the
Ruhr revived the sense of vengeance.
When their money went bad. millions
OF men and women were half-starved
They have suffered great agonies in the
postwar years, and today millions Of
young Germans, workless and wage
less, see no hope except in this Fascist
dream OF German regeneration advanc.
ing to new philosophy and structure
of life.
Leaders Inspired by Hatred.
1t is not true that all these young
FascistS lust for war. Many have the
vision Of brave new world" not igno-
BILE. But having said that ones ankle
ties and apprehensions grow big again
because young Germany is under the
leadership OF men inspired by hatred
and belief in brutality. and who are
avowed enemies of all liberal and paci-
fist thought
The last hope of enduring peace in
Europe is in return to sanity in Ger
many and in the defeat of this black
reaction by the common sense of peo-
pie among whom there are still mil
lions of liberal-minded men. I believe
some help and sympathy should be
given them by other nations. refusing
! to indict whole people because of the
blackguardiSm of individuals.
| English youth is set for peace. France
loathes the idea Of war. unless forced
| to defend the frontiers again. The
younger mind in many nations is aware
war is the worst way of argument and
that this present ruin will be COM
pleted by another struggle between the
tribes
We have in Europe still time for lib
eral thought to reach out across the
| frontiers and to overcome the passion
ate insanity of the war fever. But I
should be false if pretended that this
| victory is near at hand.
At present We are back again to the
| temper of 1913, when the powers were
grouping themselves for that "inevit-
able" war. 1t makes one despair of hu-
man reason.
| Copyright. 1893. by North American News
paper Alliance. 1ncD