Evening star., 1934-08-05
BY FRANK III. sIMoHDs.

I'm ALL the crowded and exciting
days which have followed the as
sassination OF Dollfuss there has
Il gradually been disclosed a fact
which LIS. on the whole, the most
reassuring circumstance OF the last
two years: That q common fear OF
the National Socialist regime in Ger
many has restored something fairly
close to a concert Of Europe. Nearly
two years ago. when Hitler came to
power there seemed every prospect
that the Old World would be divided
into Two groups Of rival alliances, ex-
actly as IT had been IN 1914.
Had any such situation existed a
few days ago, when the murder Of
Dollfuss traRicslly paralleled that Of
Archduke Francis Ferdinand 20 years
earlier, Europe would have been face
70 face with the same sort OF crisis
which led to the World War. Had
France, the Little Entente and Poland
confronted Germany, Italy. Austria
and Hungary as the Triple Entente
faced the Triple Alliance after the
crime Of Serajevo. 1t is difficult TO see
how another general war could have
been averted.
Hitler. however, in his brief tenure
of power had abolished the greatest
danger his arrival had for Europe.
For in undertaking TO bring about
the union OF Austria, with the Reich
he had made impossible any common
frort between Rome and Berlin. How
ever much Mussolini might desire to
upset French hegemony in Europe
and to undermine French influence In
the Danubian area. he naturally had
no desire TO substitute German for
French domination.
Promised Italy's support.
The meeting between the Duce and
the fuehrer in Venice q few weeks
ago, just before the blood bath Of
June 80. was therefore literally Hit
ler's last chance to establish a COM
mon front with MussolinL In that
meeting he was told quite frankly
that he could count on further Ital-
ian support in his campaign for par
tty with France in armaments, pro-
vided he would call of his attempts
10 destroy the DollfuSs regime In
Vienna. Obviously he promised 10 do
it, but Just as obviously he failed to
keep his promise, either because he
couldn't or because he wouldn't.
Even before the murder of Dollfuss,
moreover. renewal of the terrorist
tactics had aroused Rome to protest
and Mussolini to passion. The Duce
felt, not unreasonable, that he had
been tricked by Hitler at Venice He
was, therefore, already preparing to
take action when the events in Vienna
forced his hand. With Dollfuss dead
the last possibility Of cooperation be-
tween the two FaSciSns vanished.
Mussolinf was now ready to Join with
France and with the. Little Entente
to maintain the independence OF
Austria and thus to uphold the status
quo Of the peace treaties,
In the same fashion Hitler has
driven the equally reluctant British
into the French camp. Ever since
the close of the war the various
British governments which have held
ONCE have been striving eagerly to
bring about a restoration of @ state
of balance on the Continent. They
have longed to see some combination,
possibly Of italy and Germany. Offset
that of France and her smaller allies
among the succession states. Such
state of balance would enable
Britain to hold the deciding vote be-
tween the two camps. 1t would, too,
end a French domination equally un-
attractive to British pride and trade
policy.
Backed Four-Power Pact.
When Hitler arrived even the first
violences against the Jews did not
suffice to destroy the British hope
that something might be accomplish
ed Thus Macdonald flew to Rome
right after the German election of
March S, 1888, and gave his blessing
TO the Duce'S four-power pact pro-
posal. A new concert of Europe was
to be established thereby and Britain
and Italy could restrain Germany with
French support and force France to
concessions to satisfy German de-
mands.
This plan was blocked by the re-
volt of the allies of France, who saw
themselves the predestined victims of
any such arrangement precisely as the
Balkan nations had been the victims
of the old concert of Europe. After
that rebuff Britain drew back from
France and Italy turned to Germany.
France seemed isolated. Even her
Polish ally was turning away from
her and making a truce with Ger
many 1t was at that time, last
Autumn, that q war Of prevention
precipitated by France was seriously
discussed in many quarters.
But Hitler would not give up his
Austrian adventure And in addition
he flung Germany out of the Dis
armament Conference and started to
rearm in defiance OF the treaty Of
Versailles. The British, who were
willing to see Germany increase her
land ornaments, were not however
ready to see her expand her air fleets.
So they sent Capt. Anthony Eden TO
Berlin on the same sort of mission
Lord Haldane had undertaken before
the World War. But Goering took
the tone with Eden that TrpitE had
held with Haldane
Eden's Failure Decisive.
AS a consequence London turned
back reluctantly TO Paris and at the
same time proclaimed her purpose to
expand her own air forces. AS far
as the British were concerned, too,
the failure Of Eden was the decisive
detail as the Austrian inlpaSSe had
been for the Italians. But with the
blood bath of June 80 there was pre-
sented to them that moral issue which
the English always welcome as
justification for their policy.
Meantime. Hitler had also managed
10 ALLEVIATE the Soviets not only by
his persecution of his own Com
muniStS. but also by his public an
nouncement OF a plan TO seize por
tions of the Ukraine, and thereon
establish German colonistS. Once
that announcement had been made
the reds were ready to play ball with
the capitalist countries of the West.
Paris and Moscow then began to draw
together over regional pacts and pres
emily British blessing was bestowed
upon this project, followed shortly by
Italian