Evening star., 1934-04-29
Divided Within Itself.

Divided Within Itself.
The present national government is.
moreover, ministry which was formed
for single purpose and has served
that purpose. 1t has therefore no
reason for existence and is notoriously
divided within itself Again, Ramsey
Macdonald is pretty generally dis
credited now, at home as abroad He
is in bad health and must soon retire.
But if the national government should
make way for Tory ministry, then it
seems certain Britain would take a
more definite line. Nominally the sue
cess OF Labor might dictate another
course, but the logic of the situation
is almost too clear to permit much
difference in policy whether the Right
or Left rules in England.
But even if France succeeds in fore
ing Britain's hand. she will not call
the tune to which the British will
dance. On the main question-that
Germany has become an immediate
threat to European order and an
eventual menace to European peace
there can be little difference of opin-
ion between Paris and London. On the
fact that an aggression by Germany,
leading to fresh invasion of France
or Belgium, would be a matter of
gravest concern to the British, there
is equal agreement. That a German
triumph over Italy would be equally
disadvantageous to British and French
interests is similarly accepted on both
sides of the channel.
Public Opinion Unsettled.
1t is when the question of Eastern
and Central Europe is broached that
British public opinion is still far from
agreed upon the right line of policy.
For long the British we're quite will
ing to let Germany suppress the
Polish Corridor or annex Austria
provided these adventures had no
repercussions in the West. The fate
of Poland. of Soviet Russia, of Czecho-
slovakia or of Austria was not
matter in which England saw herself
vitality interested. Thus in the ques-
ton of territorial revision London
was far more in accord with Rome
than with Paris and genuinely SYM
pathetic with Berlin.
But if is we'll to recall that in 1914
over the original issue of Serbia. Brit
ish public opinion was in the main
sympathetic with Austria, and the
ultimatum to Belgrade was criticised
only as it became clear that this
document raised the matter to the
level of a European issue. Once that
issue was clear, however, the British
gave Berlin clear evidence of its con-
Germ. 1t is true that Berlin misread
the warnings and plunged ahead as
a result. Yet in 1914 in the case Of
Germany, as 100 years before in the
case of France, British action was
determined by the conviction that
continental domination was peril
to British existence.
Situation Not Changed.
The situation has not changed to-
day. German hegemony with Hitler
in control would have precisely the
same menace for Britain as did
French with Napoleon as master. But
both the French and the Germans
refuse to recognize the logic of the
facts. Thus the former are trying to
get the British to commit themselves
on paper and the latter see in British
refusal to do that reasons for encour-
agement. The French are blind to
the fact that in the end. if Germany
attacks them, Britain must come in.
The Germans, beginning with Hitler,
are with equal blindness again count
ing on Britain's benevolent neutrality.
If it is reasonably clear what Brit
ain will eventually have to do, no one
one earth Is today capable either of
forecasting how she will come to the
point or of exaggerating the detours
| and by-passes she will enter in the
hope of avoiding a decision. But even
if. as the French charge, such inde-
cision may encourage the Germans
again as it did in July, 1914. they are
not going to change it or get the
British to act in any but British
/ fashion. On the other hand. there
are those who, in Moscow as in Paris,
will seek proof that Britain is at bot
tom pro-German in its policy. Such
suspicious fly in the face of all Brit
/ ish history.
The significant fact is that Europe
1 is again entering a danger zone. War
/ is daily becoming more likely. This
danger of war arises from the pur-
poses which dominate the minds and
| hearts of those who are today mas
tiers of the Reich. AS long as there
is the remotest chance of avoiding
such a war the British will cling to
their own freedom of action But in
the presence of an actual threat of
hostilities, British interest will impose
upon whatever government is In power
at the moment an anti-German pol
icy. And. as the German danger
tends to become concrete, British pol
icy will inescapably follow the his
toric course and seek to establish
new coalition.
England Not Worried.
John Bull will not be hustled, how
ever. He will not be stampeded by
clever tactics nor rushed into action
by "ultimatums" such as Paris has
| lately discharged. He doesn't even
admit that he knows where he is
going yet He totally refuses to con-
cede that he Is on his way. He Is
visibly out of patience with those who
must be his later associates, but now
appear to be trying to rush him into
signing partnership articles. But in
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