Evening star., 1934-09-02
SPRING OF 1885 MAY BRING
NEW DUEL OF DICTATORS
Duce and Fuehrer Face Each Other
Over Austria With Truce Imposed
By Winter Problems.

three nations as far as Germany is
concerned. Thus Hitler Is unlikely to
accomplish much politically In any
early time.
But to imagine that the union Of
Austria with Germany can be per-
manently prevented is a mistake. The
real problem now Is not to prevent
such union, which has become well
nigh inevitable, but to postpone it
until Hitler has fallen. Otherwise
the Anschluss might serve as VIC
tory sufficient to perpetuate the ma
tional Socialist regime, the fall Of
which is now equally desired in the
capitals of all four great powers. On
the other hand, no attack Is likely
to be launched at Germany, now that
none of the great powers feels i'm
mediately threatened by German
events or armaments.
Duce Speaks for Europe.
Mussolini, for a brief moment, is
then in position to speak for Europe.
He has Italy in his hand. France
will support him against Germany by
force and Britain at least financially
If it comes to real crisis. To him
belongs the credit for having solved
the immediate Austrian crisis precipi-
tated by the murder Of Dollfuss by
a swift mobilization and by an equally
sagacious avoidance of unnecessarily
provocative action. Under the menace
of 100000 Italian troops actually at
the frontier, Hitler threw over the
NaZi cause in Austria and his Austrian
agents and lieutenants are now facing
firing squads and the gallows.
1t may be that there will be another
crisis before Winter comes. The whole
Central European situation Is filled
with dynamite. What is more likely
is fresh period Of pause. The real
drama now lies inside Of Germany, not
outside. If Hitler can last this Winter
out he may be in position to resume
his Austrian adventure In the Spring.
His best game is to continue his pro-
feSsions of peaceful intent abroad and
of desire for reconciliation at home.
Abroad If no one is likely to believe
him, neither is any one likely to
resort to drastic measures.
MuSsolini, like Hitler, Is face to
face with a supreme crisis. He can
and probably will call the tune for
European events for some time to
come. But while he has courage and
force, he speaks for country with
small resources alike in money and
raw materials. A foreign war, how
ever successful, would be a dangerous
gamble If it brought in its wake new
depression and further domestic pri-
vation. He must, then, direct events
in such fashion as to vindicate his
authority without having to strain bis
resources.
| Danger in YugosIavia.
| ZHis greatest danger comes from
lTngoSlavia. The Serbs are notori-
Iously hostile to Italy, resentful Of all
the grievances which 20 back TO
the Fiume episode. Their internal
situation is such that foreign war
might prove the surest single means
Of reuniting the Croat, the Slovene
and the Serb. The recent dispatch
OF an Italian fleet to Durazzo as a
warning to Albania had a direct Yugo-
slav implication and the threat was
not mistaken In Belgrade. A border
incident could precipitate a war over
night and such war would bestow
heaven-sent opportunity upon Hit
Ter.
Obviously a new situation Is evoIv-
ing. 1t is hardly likely to crystallize
until the outcome of Hitler's battle
with hunger and cold-with unem-
ployment and undernourishment-h
been fought and won or lost. II this
battle is lost. then the downfall Of
the National Socialist regime IN tha
Reich must have immediate repercus-
sions all over Middle Europe-first of
all in Vienna, where Mussolini's only
effective ally is his foe, Hitler.
The Serb started the last war, and
he may start the next. His actions
are unpredictable. His hostility to
Italy Is incurable. Rather than let
Italy establish any permanent system
IN the Danubian area the Serbs would
hight now. But they can afford to
wait. They believe, as does everybody
else in Central Europe, that Austro-
German union is inevitable In the
long run, and that at best Mussolini
can only postpone it. They expect to
find an ally in Germany when the
Anschluss takes place. Meantime,
| WAACA Abd1y ulOOA4ALcS I IQBDSlaNld 1Ol-
lows suit
What Is the oldest of all contem-
porary circumstances is the fact that
1t is within the realms Of possihility
that we may one day see Czech. Serb.
Italian and German armies all racing
for Vienna, as the Greek, Serb ard
Bulgarian armies raced for Salonica
IN the first Balkan War in 1912. And
just which of the four armies would
fraternize remains deep secret. Only
two things are clear: First, that the
Germans and Italians would fiQht.
and, second, that the Serbs IN such a
case would back the Germans.
As have said, We are probably
about to see long Winter truce. But
next Spring, If both the Duce and
the Fuehrer have survived-and with
the Duce the question Is not polit-
ical-then Europe may see a duel un-
paralleled since Napoleon and Gar
Alexander, having similarly enjoyed a
brief friendship, quarreled and en-
barked upon the struggle which saw
the old guard in Moscow and shortly
thereafter witnessed the entrance OF
the CoSsacks into Paris
(Copyright 1D34l