Evening star., 1934-02-11
POLISH CORRIDOR PACT
HELD AID TO GERMANY
Nazis Desire to Dispose of Central
European Troubles First, Observer
Savs-France's Isolation Wanted.

with Germany they feel unable per-
manently to resist without French
aid.
Probably the Poles themselves have
left both the French and German
possibilities open. They will now
wait and see. Meantime they have
assured themselves of a period of
years-at least S, possibly 10-during
which they can consolidate their pres
ent territorial situation and complete
their economic organization. And, on
the basis of this truce, economic re-
lations between Poland and Ger
many-which have been fatally ham,
pered by political differences ever
since l920-can be resumed with
great profit to both countries, which
have suffered equally from a practical
embargo.
After all, so the Poles may reason,
who can foresee what is going to
happen in Europe in the next or
10 years? In that time the Nazis
may succumb to internal attack or
foreign war. Meanwhile, If the truce
Is observed, Poland will gain a respite
from Nazi agitation within and along
her frontiers. There are still more
than half a million Germans within
the Polish boundaries. while the dis
putes between the German inhabi-
tants of Danzig and the Polish gov
ernment have been unpleasant and
costly.
Might Drop Alliance.
Obviously. the Poles run one con-
siderable risk: The French might de-
eide to drop the Polish alliance. This
might have been distinct possibility
If the Left parties in France had been
able to run affairs better, for the ma
Jority Of the French people, as I have
said, regard Poland as a liability
Since, however, the Left has made
a horrible mess of things and is now
losing ground rapidly, the danger is
less, for National government would
certainly try to restore the Polish
alliance to its former force.
In any event, the Polish German
episode must no be interpreted as a
move, either on the part of Berlin
or Warsaw, to settle permanently an
historic dispute which has endured
since the fourteenth century and
| since 1920 has been permanent dan
ger to European peace. On the con-
trary. Poland still means to keep Ger
many to recover, the Corridor. At
the moment 1t suits the diplomatic
game both are playing-but PLAYING
lor dfferent reasons-to put out this
little truce. And it may be that they
Will both continue to regard it as
profitable to keep 1t for a period of
years.
For the time being. therefore the
Polish Corridor ceases to be one of
the danger spots Of the Continent
And conceivably Poland will similarly
cease to be one of the active partici-
pants in the great diplomatic game.
For a long time to come it seems the
great battle will continue to be fought
exclusively in the Danubian area and
actually over the possession of Austria
II you look back to the Bismarckian
era you will recall how the great
| architect of the Hohenzollern empire
flrst allied himself with Austria to
drive the Danes out of Schleswig and
Holstein. Next he drove the Austrians
out OF Germany and took these two
provinces for Prussia. Then he de-
feated France, annexed Alsace-Lor-
raine and brought about German
unity But from start to finish he
planned to reach the point to which
he ultimately came. On the Other
hand, he made all sorts of apparentiy
inconsistent bargains along the way
bargains which for the moment freed
his hands and later, when they be-
came lnconvenient, were ignored.
Hitler's Objectives.
Today, to understand the Nazi game
1t is essential to see what Hitler's real
objectives are. And these he has
accommodatingly disclosed in his own
book. Like Bismarck, he is setting
out to build German empire. But
his Reich is to be far greater than
that of the old chancellor, just as the
old chancellor's empire was greater
! than the Prussian Frederick the Great
succeeded in establishing Like Fred
erick and Bismarck, too, Hitler is
bound to make temporary arrange
ments which to the uniformed NAV
seem to be notifications of the basic
design.
1t is only when you know the
| fashion in which the whole German
nation is being regimented for war.
the youth trained in the use of
weapons, the people inspired with the
gospel Of explosive and expansive ma
| tlonalism, that you can measure the
real character of Nazi policy. Always,
however, it is necessary to note that
II Hitler for moment seems to re-
treat on one front, he redoubles his
| activity on another. Thus, while he
was making the Polish arrangement
he was defying Europe in the matter
of Austria.
Poor Napoleon III thought he had
obtained from Bismarck promise of
| territorial compensations in return
| for leaving Prussia free to beat up
Austria. But whatever promises he
may have obtained, he received no
territorial compensations and France
was presently beaten up in her turn.
while Austria quite naturally stood by
and watched with indifference. In
the end Poland may have a similar
experience. Meantime, however, the
German-Polish arrangement has no
relation to permanent peace and does
not represent any change Of hear,
in Hitler and his followers.
(Copyrisht 1934)
/
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