Evening star., 1935-03-31
GERMANY PLAYS TRAGIC.
FUTILE, DIPLOMATIC GAME
Nazi Aim Often Based ON Right, But
Blunders Align Nations "A
Against Reich. y
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS,

ana experiences 60 back to
the days between 1904 and
~ 1914 can possibly realize the
extent to which contemporary
events are repeating the pattern of
those Of a quarter of a century ago.
During that critical decade a form
Of madness almost defying diagnosis
seemed to seize all those responsible
for German policy. 1t was not that
the policy itself was uniquely evil: on
the contrary, the claims Germany
pressed had at least as good legal
and moral basis as those other nations
more successfully pushed.
Nevertheless what the Kaiser and
Prince Buelow did, with the secret aid
of Holstein, lost the World War before
the first shot was fired. Today it is
customary to say that Germany lost
the war at the Marine, but that is
mistake. Actually before German
craftsmanship turned the job over to
the German high command the strug-
gle was lost beyond the skill of the
general or the sacrifice of the soldier
to redeem. 1t was, in fact, lost in the
diplomatic battles of Tangier, Bosnia
and Agadir.
BY 1914 even the British people had
been convinced by German manners
that German purposes were perma-
nent peril to European peace. AS for
the French, they had come to that
conclusion after Agadir in 1911 and
the rulers of Russia had made up their
minds after the Bosnian episode of
1908. Even the Italian people, al
though allies of Germany, refused to
march in 1914 to the aid of their
partner and in 1915 marched against
her. When the snowstorm of declara-
tions of war of August 1914, had
ceased the Germans suddenly saw a
whole world united in condemnation
of German policy and begging to unite
in a common military effort to defeat
that policy.
German Sacrifices Great.
During the war years the Germans
fought as bravely as any people in his
tory against incredible odds. What
the masses suffered, their sacrifices in
blood and treasure can hardly be ex-
aggerated. And yet from the war the
Germans emerged to discover them
selves treated-with fatal folly, be
1t agreed-as an outcast people. COM
PEELED to subscribe to a confession
setting forth their own moral inferi-
ority. incidentally, after Napoleon
was overthrown no one ever thought
of treating the French as pariahs
Now the thing is beginning all over
again. Step by step, the Berlin
blood bath" in June, the Austrian
putsch in July, the armament row now
in March, each of these piesodes is
having abroad precisely the effect of
Tangier, Agadir and Bosnia. And for
Germany the effect is at once cumu-
lative and catastrophe. Outwardly
for example, it would seem that the
Tory government is disclosing weak
ness and hesitancy and this perform
ance seems to be encouraging the Ger
mans. But any one who knows Eng
land knows that the Tory government
Is waiting until what It already be-
leves about German policy sinks into
the popular mind.
1t is, moreover, we'll nigh incredi-
bic to note the extent to which the
Germans are again playing into the
hands OF their opponents. Almost
every one in England believes that the
Germans ought to have been permit
ted to have parity in military forces
long ago. But on the other hand,
every Englishman is uneasy about
German air forces. So, at the moment
Germany tears up the treaty of Ver-
sa1lles with gesture of impressive
violence, she proceeds to stage an air
raid over Berlin. And about the same
time she pull off a review of Ger
man regiments at Tempelhof
The consequences, of course, is that
Paris and London have an identical
emotion at the same moment. What
the French, the Italians, the Soviets
are now counting on is that German
diplomacy and craftsmanship will
perform the miracle of 1914 once
more. They look forward to the years
OF truce that remain before the war
they now regard as certain as a time
dedicated to the effort of Germany
to make a belligerent of England
again. The dance itself has not be-
gun, but the search for partners is
well under way.
Soviets and Czechs Fearful.
Every one knows that France and
Italy will not resort to war immedi-
ately because they are certain that to
march now would be to insure British
neutrality. That irritates the Soviets
and perhaps the Czechs, who are
1earfuI that Germany will obtain a
Tree hand in the regions which con-
Germ these Slav people. But the ex-
perlence OF l905-14 remains fixed in
French and Italian minds. Again
the English are going to wait and
see" and once more the Germans are
putting on the show for the British
audience. Hitler is doing things the
way the Kaiser used to say them and
Holstein plan them.
AS the situation stands GERMANY
Is already faced by the fact that if
she starts anything beyond the Rhine
she will have to reckon with British
as well as French forces. She knows
that If she makes trouble on the
Danube, France, Italy and the little
entente will march. If, moreover,
she risks counter offensive in the
west the British are unlikely to stand
aside and let her seize Belgium or
occupy Northern France. whereas the
French can occupy the Rhineland
WltQ immunity, since CnaC carries no
threat to British security.
What is left for the Germans now,
If they have to act, is only some ad-
venture in the East, probably in part
nership with Poland and possibly
with Japan. In such an affair there
is no certainty that France would
participate and a safe calculation
that Britain and Italy would stay out.
But II France went in and came to
grief the same question of British Sc
curity would arise. For never can
England be safe If Germany is at
Calais and Boulogne. That is why it
Is almost automatic that II France
and Germany fight, Britain will have
to back the French in the interests
OF their own security.
Britain Wants Neutrality.
At the present moment however the