Evening star., 1935-03-31

the hands OF their enemies. After
two years National Socialist Germany
has not single friend in Europe save
Poland and that friendship is hardly
popular in many quarters of Polish
public opinion. The fact that the
German press. completely controlled
as it is, already begins to agitate the
question of Danzig and assail the posi-
tion of the Polish minority. suggests
that perhaps a slight mistake may
raise up another prospective foe. 1t
was only the desertion of France by
Poland which prevented the complete
and isolation of the
Reich.
If you accept the statements of in
formed military experts that Germany
will not be ready to fight for three to
five years, then these years must in
evitably be occupied with one of the
most spectacular diplomatic struggles
in history. If Germany cannot get
allies the situation in conflict must
be dubious, if she has to reckon with
Britain as foe it is hopeless. But to
acquire allies she would have to calm
the fears she has raised everywhere
and to placate Britain she would have
to revolutionize her diplomacy.
Nazi Policy One of Force.
But Naz-like Hohenzollern diplo-
macy is based upon the assumption
that the cheapest way to get results is
to scare your prospective opponents
with death. Within limits, too, the
method often does work, particularly
If the people who are to be scared
are desperately eager to avoid war and
ready to make almost any sacrifice
rather than be dragged into battle.
But the day these people perceive that
long suffering insures not peace but
perpetually recurring threats, then OF
a sudden they stop yielding.
That was precisely what happened
in the crisis of Agadir in 1911. In
1905 in the Tangier episode and in
1908 in the Bosnian episode Germany
had prevailed by an undisguised
threat of war. In 1911, too, the Kaiser
had sent the Panther to Agadir to put
Europe on notice of Germanys pur-
pose to recognize French supremacy
in Morocco only at the price of COM
pensation elsewhere. But this time
England took a hand. and Lloyd
George in a sensational speech an
that if England's voice was
ignored and English interests disre-
garded the consequence would be Brit
ish action.
The result was that although Ger
many collected compensation In the
shape of some swamps on the Ubangi
and the Sanga she suffered "a diplo-
matte defeat of incalculable magni-
tude. From the crisis, therefore, she
emerged poorer in prestige than at
any moment since 1870 and her dis
aster at Agadir proved the preface OF
her defeat in 1914, when Britain,
joining with France and Italy, aban-
doned her alliance with Germany.
What the Germans had failed to per-
ceive was that the dominant desire of
other peoples to avoid war was not the
proof of an inherent cowardice which
would make them surrender whenever
the table was pounded or the saber
ratified.
Austria Paid a Price.
The danger reappears now. Hitler
has gotten away with his withdrawal
from the League and although his at
tack upon Austrian liberty was
checked, the costs were paid by the
unhappy Austrians. He now seems
likely to get away with this rearma-
ment. But when he accompanies his
proclamation of the purpose to arm
with air raids and military parades in
Berlin, the moral effect of the latter
performances invest the former with a
sinister significance for all Europe.
Always when Germany sets out to
press claims which are, in themselves
oy no means lacking in justice, she
winds up by being indicted for dis
turbing the peace.
No informed observer can fail to see
that during the last four years and
during the last two Europe
has been moving steadily and rapidly
toward war. And concomitantly Ger
man leadership has been creating in
The world the conviction that the re-
sponsibility for the next war will rest
upon German shoulders. The result
has been a growing isolation Of the
Reich, an increasing development of
coalitions against it and a gradual
extinction Of the sympathy for Ger
nany's obvious wrongs alike in Great
Britain and the United States.
Thus what the Germans have to
ook forward to is not merely another
war, but a war which will again take
On the form of crusade, and precise
y the same moral isolation will fall
10 their lot. Today the stake which
The Germans and their prospective
opponents are playing for is Great
just as it was between 1905
and 1914. Once more, too, the British
government believes war with Ger
many likely. but can only begin to act
upon that conviction when German
actions shall have satisfied the British
public that there can be no peace
with the present masters of the Reich.
Once the British public mind is salts
ned of that fact, however, the govern
ment can and will act as swiftly and
decisively as it did in August, 1914.
Impossible Task Faces Army.
Unless all present signs fail, there
fore, the new German army Is having
prepared for it the same impossible
task, which was handed over to the
old army by a craftsmanship equally
blind and a diplomacy similarly in
ept. And by the time Germany is re-
armed to the point at which war will
become possible for her she will be
confronted by a continent in arms
backed by world public opinion con-
vinced that resistance to German pur-
pose has become necessary to exist
,nce. Certainly no people were ever
born to such a tragic destiny as we're
the Germans, whose diplomatic meth
DDS and manners invariably compro-
Mise their material interests even
when these are based upon indubitable
rights.
Today, when a new war is patiently
preparing in Europe, French diplo-
macy with all of its pre-war skill Is