Evening star., 1933-07-21
Mussolini's peace Club"

oSCauSc VI pEcOCCupatlOIl WIFI Qu-
mestic affairs and the London confer
ence, American public opinion has con-
cerned itself hardly at all with the far
reaching implications underlying the
four power pact between Great Britain,
France. Italy and Germany. signed at
Rome a few days ago. This Is the So
called peace club" projected by Pre-
nier Mussolini In the Spring for the
purpose Of preventing what then
looked dangerously like an irrepressible
political explosion ON the Continent, due
to the sudden menace involved in the
rise Of the Nazis to power in Berlin.
Revision Of the Versailles treaty, par
ticularly its territorial settlements, was
the cardinal plank in the Nazi platform.
Revision had long been espoused by the
other countries defeated in the World
War. along with the Germans, and even
Italy. under Mussolinis leadership, was
reyisionist. The Hitlerites had strong
reason to hope that the Italian Fascists
would formally join their German breth-
rem in demanding revision. Had the
Black Shirts of Italy thus aligned
themselves with the Brown Shirts of
Germany. Continental Europe would
have found itself divided into two hos
tile and irreconcilable camps-revision-
ist Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria
and possibly Austria against France,
Poland and the three countries COM
prising the little entente-Czechoslo-
vakia. Rumania and Yugoslavia.
Nazi international arrogance pro-
duced a profound, prompt and unex-
pected reaction. The British indicated
their opposition to any German terri
torial expansion along Nazi lines
France and her allies suddenly realized
the necessity Of tightening the bonds of
their friendship. Russian diplomacy
manifested new cordiality toward Po-
land and the Soviet's other neiehbors.
Finally, when Hitler brazenly threat
ened the independence Of Austria, Italy
came to understand the full peril of al
lying itself with Fascist Germany and
soon decided to have no part or parcel
In turning the Continent into rival
groups Of hate and suspicion.
Then Mussolini launched his scheme
to bring the British, the French. the
Italians and the Germans into peace
club" The project conciliated Nazi
Germany's anxiety to be recognized as
great power. yet. In joining the COM
bination, Hitler automatically recon-
mitted the Reich, as the other three
powers, of course, were likewise COM
mitted. TO an agreement to preserve the
peace by recognizing the whole existing
system Of European treaties. including
Versailles. and with them, all OF today's
territorial boundaries.
For strategic reasons the fact has not
been screamed from the house tops
over there" but from this long range
point Of observation, 1t looks as II, for
the indefinite future. at least. revision
has gone into the discard, and that
EuroptS y Dig fOuE HAS gone SOleIlu-
ly OH record to the effect that only so
long as there Is no revision can
Europe have peace.
Treaties designed to prevent war have
succeeded one another at intervals IN
Europe ever since the armistice OF
1918. They did not contrive to prevent
war Scares, yet it Is fact that peace
has not actually beef broken. That it
will continue to be kept there has been
no better guarantee put on parchment
since the World War than this new
four-power pact consummated chiefly
at the instieation Of Benito Mussolini
and dedicated to the maintenance of
the status quo.