Evening star., 1935-02-17
HITLER FACES DILEMMA
IN,JOCKEYINC FOR POWER
British.French Accord Puts Issue of
Isolation or Acceptance of Frontiers
Up to Nazi Chief.

But they have never disguised their
conviction that on the Vistula and
the Danube there must be changes.
on the one hand abolishing the Polish
Corridor and on the other permitting
the unicn of Austria with the Reich
By the terms of the original
Locarno, France, Germany, Italy,
Britain and Belgium agreed to respect
the territorial status quo on the Rhine
and to resist the attempt of any
single signatory power to disturb that
status by violence Since France and
Belgium had no other desire than to
maintain their existing frontiers this
amounted to a British and Italian
guarantee of French and Belgium
security. There was left to the British
and Italians, however. freedom to
decide for themselves when aggres-
sion had taken place.
France Has Two Aims.
Now since Locarno French states
manship has been working to ac-
complish two things: To get the
British-and in principle the Italian
as well-to extend to the east and
the Danubian Basin the guarantees
of Locarno-that is, to commit them
selves to defend the status quo of the
Paris Peace Conference everywhere on
the continent. In addition they have
worked to get a clear definition of
aggression which would insure British
and Italian aid automatically, if Ger
many reSorted to violence. In both
respects they had been unsuccessful
up to the time when Germany with
drew both from the League and from
the Disarmament Conference and
showed her hand in the Austrian
putSch.
Thereupon, however, Italy became
alarmed for her own security on the
Danube and Britain for her safety in
the air. AS consequence there
emerged the agreements which bind
Italy as we'll as France to defend the
status quo as far as Austria is con-
cerned and Great Britain and Italy
to send their air fleets into action if
France or Belgium is attacked. If,
moreover, there Is no Eastern LO-
carno, the Soviets and the French will
undoubtedly come to some agreement
to defend the status quo in the East
Hitler has thus managed to get
Germany wholly encircled Aside from
Poland he has no friend. To be sure,
he is not yet faced by a close al
lance between the Soviets. Italy
France. Great Britain and the Little
Entente Britain has not bound her
self to defend the independence Of
Austria or Italy to maintain the status
quo in the East. but the gradual
integraticn of a continental coalition
against Germany, having the SYM
pathy Of Britain everywhere and its
support on the Rhine and in the air.
is obvious.
Hitler in Dilemma.
As consequence his present
dilemma is patent. He has been
asked by the British to return to the
League and to the Disarmament Con-
ference in return for the recognition
OF Germany's right to parity in
Involved in a return to
the League, however, is the renunci-
alton of all projects for Austro-Ger-
man union and all plans for ex-
pansion at the expense of the Soviet
Union. 1t amounts to a consent to ac-
cept the territorial clauses Of the
Treaty of Versailles, now that all the
others have been liquidated. Once
back at Geneva, too, Germany will
find herself inevitably surrounded by
the states which have been forming a
coalition outside Of the League to
restrain her purposes.
On the other hand, if the Ger
mans refuse to return to Geneva and
to agree to the proposed Eastern and
Danubian Locarnos then they will
have rebuffed the only great power
to make concessions. The
London agreement represents a sue
cessful venture of British statesman
ship in mitigating French rigidity in
the matter of armamentS by British
acceptance of new continental re-
sponsibility, or. more exactly, an ex-
tension by definition of an existing
responsibility. II Hitler Slaps the
British in the face, then the conse-
quences must be unpleasant.
France, by contrast, is in the for
tunate position of not being able to
lose. If Germany goes to Geneva
again, French influence there will re-
main what it has been. And. in ad-
1ition. Anglo-French relations will be
more friendly than ever, because both
will be equally interested in insuring
the limitation of armaments. If
Germany refuses to 60 to Geneva and
declines to subscribe to the Eastern
Or Danubian LoearnoS then that will
be an advertisement Of her purpose to
destroy the status quo by violence,
and while the continental powers
draw together. Britain is bound to
come closer to both France and Italy.
If, however, Hitler renounces his
ancient program of expansion in the
and in Austria, thus Surren-
dering the hope of establishing a third
Reich encompassing all the Germans
Of the continent, then the last SEM
tlance of his promises of a greater
Germany must vanish. All his fiery
indictments Of the republic will be
exposed as words and nothing more
as far as foreign policy is concerned
Having condemned the republic for
its weakness in foreign relations, he
will have disclosed his strength as
equally futile. And it is not impos-
sible that such a confession may
prove too heavy for Hitler's power
today.
Beyond much question Hitler's pol
icy must now be to temporize, to post
pone, to argue. He does not want to
break with Britain. he does not want
to risk protest at home by surrender.
He is up against a combination of
international force beyond Germany's
present capacity to overcome Unless
he can divide the opposing coalition,
while he may not formally accept the
terms offered, he Is bound to refrain
from any open challenge.
In sum, then, two possibilities are
If Hitler accepts the terms
offered him we may see q renewal Of
the original truce Of Locarno for 5
or 10 years. If he rejects them either
openly or in effect, the immediate
danger of war will still be slight, be-
cause Germany is now encircled by
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