Imperial Valley press., 1935-03-29
MUCH DANGER
IN ATTITUDE
Of GERMANS
Resentment Over Impending
Executions By Lithuania May
Ignite War Spark
DISCOUNT TREATY ROW
Real Menace To Peace OF Eu-
rope Said To Be On Eastern
Frontier
DISCOUNT TREATY ROW
BY HOBART C. MONTEE
limited Press Staff CORRESPONDENT

by HObAhl y. moNIEE
United Press Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 90. = Ad-
ministration officials here showed
real concern today over the spon-
taneous outbursts of public indig-
nation in Germany resulting from
the death sentences meted out to
four Germans in the Memel terri
tory.
In many quarters the situation
was considered of more real and
immediate danger TO the peace of
Europe than was Germany's an
nounced decision to rearm in open
defiance of the military clauses Of
the Versailles treaty.
When Chancellor Adolf Hitler
announced 10 days ago Germany
proposed to return to basis Of un-
iversal conscription, and to create
Immediately large standing army,
officials here took calm attitude
toward the whole matter.
President Roosevelt and Cordell
Hull, secretary of state, adopted a
watchful waiting" policy, await
ing European developments before
undertaking to evaluate the situa-
ton and to take definite posi-
ton.
They did this on the belief, and
upon the advice of their highest
military and naval counsellors, that
there was not likely to be any i'm
mediate outbreak of war in Europe
unless some unforeseen accident
or "incident" should suddenly
and Unexpectedly precipitate it.
The situation resulting from
the Memel espionage trial is full
of the material of which such "ac-
cidents' or incidents are made.
1t might easily become another
Sarajevo, such as precipitated the
World war.
The reason it usually is one of
the "little Incidents which actu-
ally precipitate big troubles was
explained by one veteran diplomat
here.
Real Issue Clouded
The big issues, such as Chancel-
lor Hitler open defiance of the
Versailles treaty and his decision
| W up SttlilctAl dliAiJs
usually are so complex and have
such far reaching ramifications
that they do not lend themselves
to dramatic exploitation. If there
Is real desire among the leaders
of the nations involved for preSer-
vation of peace there usually Is
| time for them to work out diplo-
matte by-passes around the threat
ened war before the populace be-
comes sufficiently worked up to
make an explosion inevitable.
But, in the assassination of a
monarch or in the execution of
two or three, or a dozen men con-
victed of espionage, there are issues
which every man in the street can
understand; there are passions. pre-
JUDGES and hatreds involved which
touch him directly.
He easily is aroused to a point
where he wants to fight. This es-
pecially is likely to be true in cases
where a large minority population
Is involved. Germans living in
Germany assert Germans in Memel
are being sorely oppressed by the
Lithuanian government.
On the other hand, some observ-
ers here see in the hubub raised
in Germany over the sentencing of
the Germans convicted in espion-
age in Memel the first constructive
steps in predetermined program
by the German Nazi government
for a re-casting of the eastern
frontiers of Germany, aimed even
tually to pinch off the Polish cor
ridor and recapture Memel for
Germany.
In this direction. many officials
here believe, lies the real danger
to the peace OF Europe, rather than
in the scrapping of the military
clauses of the Versailles treaty