Evening star., 1935-04-05
This
Changing
World
Nations Prepare for
War as England Prac-
tees Cue.ism.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
Great Britain's peace dove, Capt. |
Anthony Eden, has returned to Lon
don to roost, after having flown all
over Europe.
The members Of the British cabinet |
are confirmed adopts of Coue-ism. |
They believe that even today if Eu-
ropes statesmen can be induced to |
think there shall be no war;" the i'm
pending European catastrophe will be |
averted. They may be right after all.
But in the meantime the armies |
of the nations of the continent are |
marching to occupy positions provided
by the general stats "in case OF threat |
of war" The various A and B plans |
are being put into effect.
The French government has not
called any of its reserve classes to the
colors. This is not as necessary at
this time as it was in 1914, because
the mobilization preparations have
been completed for a number of years. |
But the classes which should have
been sent home this month are being
maintained in the barracks. The main
difficulty which the French govern
ment was afraid it would meet in case
of a general mobilization was the
possible reluctance of the people to
answer such call. 1t was generally
believed in France and abroad that
the French people would not fight
unless France was invaded. This was
mere illusion. The French Chamber
has voted with an overwhelming ma
jority the two years military service.
This, next to increased taxes, would
have overthrown the most popular
government in France in ordinary
times. Yet the Flandin cabinet sur
vived and obtained a tremendous vote
of confidence. No other proof is nee
essary that the people of France are
willing to carry the pack and the rifle
to the trenches again.
The italian mobilizdtion-it is
not called by that ndme-iS pro-
ceeding rapidly. Whether the
troops uill be used against AbyS-
Sinia or in Europe depends entirely
on the development 1Uithin the
merit teW months. MusSolini is TAX
ing no chances, hoDeUer. Regular
army reSerUiStS and Black Shirts
are all ready to 1nSDer the gopern-
ments call within O fen hours.
The German Army is ready too; so
| are the enormous reserves which
have been trained as brown shirts
and other military organizations
which have existed in Germany since
| the end of the war. Reinforcements
are being sent to the western borders
of Germany together with an enor-
nous quantity Of war material. Specu-
lation is ripe in the general staffs
| Of all nations as to what new death
devices the German technicians may
have discovered during these is years
! OF peace"
The Russians are not idle either.
Their general staff is incompdrably
more efficient than in 1914 and
nothing is left to chance. II there
is another lUdr, there IDiu be no
longer lack OF rifles and an,muni-
tton as in the last tUdr. The lack
of adequate transportation Which
+ handicapped the Czarist armies hos
been solued as far as their 1DeSt-
ern front is concerned. The armies
of the Little Entente are being as
rapidly prepared as the financial
conditions OF the three States
permit.
! While armies are moving, the British
government is making last des-
perate effort to maintain peace by
| political agreements.
The real snag Sir John Simon and
Capt. Anthony Eden have met so far
is that the French and the Russians
are advocating a general non-aggres-
sion agreement based on existing
| treaties.
The Germans refuse to participate
in such general treaty and advocate
bilateral agreements between pairs
of nations" using formula expressed
in 1882 by the former Secretary of
State Henry L. Stimson.
The German theory is that
there are problems Which are par
ticulnr to two nations and these do
not affect Others Consequently, it
is unfair to ask France, for in
stance, to promise to use her army
in, say, an Italian German or in
a Russian German conflict and
Dice Uersd.
Hitler says that if agreements be-
tween nations interested in some par
| ticular problems are solved, and their
| differences are ironed out Satisfac-
torily, a general agreement within the
frame of the existing agreements
might conceivably be reached.
X y X r
The French and the Russians do
not believe in this diplomatic philos-
ophy. They maintain that the exist
ing problems interest all nations alike
and weaker nation should not be
left to discuss its problems alone with
a stronger nation-that the former
must necessarily get rough deal. The
problem which is interesting the world
today is the problem Of peace and
that must be settled within the frame
of existing treaties and by all nations
together.
The British are taking a middle
course. They believe in regional pacts.
Sir John Simon is convinced that If
the Western European question can
be solved by Germany, France, Italy
and Great Britain agreeing sincerely
not to attack each other, peace can
be maintained by force, If necessary,
in Eastern Europe.
X X X X
King Carol of Rumania believes, de-
spite the dark clouds which are COW
ering the political horizon, especially
in the Balkans, that his dynasty Is
sure to remain at the helm of the
Rumanian ship of State. Despite his
weakness and his shortcomings, he Is
keenly interested in the education of
his son and heir, the young Prince
Michael. The boy is only IA years old
and receives a real democratic educa-
tion-none Of the King stuff for him.
The young prince is in high
school. He does not actually 90