Evening star., 1933-08-05
1914 and 1888.

Nineteen years ago this morning the
world awakened to the dread realization
that overnight Germany and Austria
had plunged Europe into war and into
a conflict doomed to rage through four
terrible years before its force was spent.
Today it is Germany and Austria that
again claim Europe's agitated atten-
ton, though under circumstances differ
ent from those which produced the
catastrophe developments of August,
1914. The two situations have this
in common: Germany is again the
aggressor party, and to thwart certain
of her activities there are leagued some
of the same powers that combined to
thwart her on the earlier occasion.
1t Is the excuses of the NaA govern
ment at Berlin which have provoked
consideration Of protest action. The
Hitler regime Is under FIRE on two
counts. In both instances Fascist Ger
many Is charged with violating World
War peace treaty obligations. Two of
the allied powers. France and Great
Britain, believe themselves to be In pos
session Of indisputable evidence that
German factories at government insti-
cation, are engaged in the production of
machine guns. tanks, poison gas and
fighting airplanes-aN of these arma-
ments and weapons specifically pro-
scribed by the terms imposed upon the
Reich by the treaty Of Versailles. The
violation Of that prescription would be
serious enough In itself When it Is
accompanied by repeated and undis-
guised threats by Hitler and his author
lied spokesmen to recover for Germany
some day by force that Of which the
Nazis contend she was unrighteously
despoiled. then the Illegal re-arming OF
Germany in stealth becomes q concrete
menace to European peace The French
and British governments are carefully
scrutinizing the resultant situation and
from both Paris and London come indi-
cations OF impending joint diplomatic
action to deal with 1t. Not long ago the
British secretary of war, Lord Hailsham,
limited signidcantly in the House of
Commons at the sanctions" that might
have to be invoked against q treaty
breaking Germany.
Not only France and Great Britain,
but Italy. are consulting on the stu
ation provoked by truculent Germany
the Nasis' tmpudent attempt to de-
throne the Dollfuss government in
Austria ant Coordinate" that country
into the Hitler state For months Ger
man airplanes have been raining propa-
ganda leaflets on Austrian towns and
cities for the deliberate purpose of STIR
ring up strife against Chancellor DOLL
fuss and agitating in favor OF a united
Germanic state under Nazi rule. From
neighbor1ng Bavaria, official soil of Hit
lerism, Nad radio propaganda Of the
same tenor Is nightly blared into
Austrian ears. Under the direction Of
Hitler's inspector for Austrian affairs"
a systematic campaign for the Nazifi-
cation Of the old Hapsburg empire, or
what is left of 1t, Is under way within
the country. though Chancellor DOLL
fuss stern repressive methods have con-
trived more or less to keep the seditious
movement in check.
Germany under the peace treaties is
obligated not to violate the indepen-
dence OF Austria and is specifically re-
quired to abstain from attempts to ab-
sorb or unite with that country. Late
dispatches indicate that in addition to
q two or three power protest against
German re-arming, the French, British
and Italian governments think the time
has come for vigorous remonstrance
at Berlin against NaA designs on
Austria.
It is inconceivable that even Hitler
would permit matters to drift to point
where the three western powers would
be required to employ force against
Germany. but the peril of such con-
tingency cannot be wholly excluded at
this hour when the world sadly recalls
the outbreak of the Great War nine
teen years ago this week. 1t is pain
full thought that world peace in August,
1888, should be threatened from the
self-same quarter In which it was
wrecked in August, 1914. And the i'm
mediate course of events will be watch
ed with corresponding anxiety every
where.