Evening star., 1935-04-21
BRITAIN AVOIDS ISSUE
In EUROPEAN PARLEYS
London Holds Undisputed Leadership,
but Lack of Definite Action May
Prove Disastrous.

ana paralysis f0llOWS.
Great Britain and France cannot,
however, agree now or in any immedi-
ate future, because the only possible
basis Of agreement Is the recognition
by the British that war is inevitable
If there is to be a war Britain will
stand with France now as before
because she cannot afford to have
Germany in Calais or Boulogne or to
permit Belgium to be returned to
German domination. But the price
Of British support in war is that in
peace the French permit the British to
follow course which to the French
makes war inescapable And. within
limits. Italian and Soviet Judgment OF
British policy is identical.
What Moscow. Rome and Paris, to
say nothing Of Prague, Belgrade and
Bucharest, now are asserting is that
the apparent inability Of the British
to make up their mind encouraged the
Germans to go from one defiance to
another. For all practical purposes,
so it appears to the continental states
men, Hitler had Simon's license to
challenge the treaty law of Europe
because he could always rely upon
Simon to protect him against any re-
prisals. What London says is that if
reprisals should be taken, then the last
hope of bringing Germany back to
reason and Europe to calm would
vanish.
Britain Knows the Truth.
All turns upon the Interpretation
of contemporary Germany whici!
craftsmanship accepts. II 1t be ac-
cepted that Germany is today in
revolt against her present territoria
and material circumstances and is
prepared to go TO the length of war il
necessary to bring about a revision o.
these, then it is plain that Britisi'
craftsmanship is foredoomed to futility
and British hesitations may greatly
increase the extent of the later disas-
ter. If, on the other hand, it bo
assumed that the present state OF
mind in Germany is an inevitable but
transient result of a lost war and
crushing peace. then it is plain thai
patience and the recognition Of Ger
man rights may lead to eventual
adjustment.
But the trouble is that the British
know in their own hearts that the
German phenomenon is no longer
direct outcome of the terms of tn,
treaty of Versailles They cannot
blink the truth in private, whatever
they say in public, that the price OF
peace with Germany is concession
which cannot be obtained save as tn,
result of German victory in a nev
war. They know that France will nc;
consent to the transfer of the Sovie,
Union to Germany as field for colo
nization and exploitation. They know
that neither Italy nor the nations OF
the Little Entente will agree to Autro-
German union. They know that the.
will not themselves consent to tn
return of German colonies.
Short of such concessions, too, in
formed Britons are fully aware tina
German acceptance of any form OF
collective order cannot be had. They
are pretending that if Germany is
allowed to rearm on a basis of parity
that will satisfy Germany honor and
German concern for security. They
are making believe that what is wrong
is that German pride has been hurt
that German rights have been invaded
and they are refusing to face th'
basic truth that while these thing
have counted in the German mind
the day has long passed when concer-
sions along these lines would satisf
the present masters of the Reich.
Britain Clouds Issue.
Now as long as the British are in
this state of mind, occupying the
perch of the eagle and trying to
indulge in the posture of the ostrich.
there cannot be any clear-cut situa-
ton in Europe. And this condition
will exist precisely as long as the
British can 60 on pretending to them
selves and to their former allies that
while the Germans are behaving badly
their intentions are not what their
words would imply. So it more or
less depends upon the Germans when
crystallization actually comes And SC
long as they avoid some shatterine
blow the present condition of chaos
may continue.
When the moment comes, however.
British action can be foreShadoweo
because in all British minds the Ger
mans are their prospective foes. Ger
many, by reason of her size and situa-
ton, constitutes for England the single
present challenger, the only prospec-
tive foe. This is even apparent to the
former allies of England. They are
not actually fearful that Britain will
support Germany or even stay neutral
in the next war. On the contrary,
they simply insist that to prevent a
next war Britain should act now and
not when the guns have begun TO 60
off.
If the British had a foreign minister
of the stature of Castlereagh. that
action the Continent demands might
be taken. But she has not and there
is no prospect that she will have. A
general election is within sight and
the danger that foreign policy will
again. as in 1929. be made an issue
in domestic politics is very great
Once in power, Labor would do just
what the Tories have been doing and
would join a continental combination,
If Germany precipitated conflict, Just
as inevitably. But in Britain as in
the United States government must
wait upon public opinion and public
opinion only begins to be alive to
realities when the moment of pre-
ventive action has passed. France,
too, suffers measurably from this same
limitation of democracy, which ex-
plains why there was no war of
prevention in 1888.
Public Still Undecided.
If you have ever seen a political
meeting where the candidate was
scheduled to speak but was delayed
and minor orators had to be drafted
to hold the crowd until the hero ar
rived you will understand the British
role at the present hour. In this
instance it Is the British public which
must play the stellar role and 1t
Continued on Ninth Page.)
Guide for Readers
PART TWO.