Evening star., 1935-12-22
ANCLO-CERMAN AMITY
KEEPS EUROPE GUESSING
Growing RapprOchement May Yet In
fluence Fate of World, Tending
Toward Unofficial Entente.

Franz Ernst Hanfstaengl, foreign press
head Of the Nazi party and the
David to Hitler's Saul, which came to
trial early in December. Hanfstaengl,
who is known affectionately as "Putzy"
among Harvardians Of the class Of '09.
had been outraged by an article in
one of the Beaverbrook papers which
said that he had lost his temper once
in the presence Of an American lawyer
who was telling him OF the British
reaction to certain Nazi practices,
and had burst out TO the effect that
if the English professors didn't stop
signing pestiferous petitions he would
send some of his Swine" to burn
down their Oxford
The first day of the trial this was
all brought out, and the American
lawyer was there as a witness to re-
iterate that Hansfstaengl had said it.
Whether from the conviction that he
would not get very far in the British
courts, or that he was doing the cause
of Anglo-Germany friendship no good
by persisting in suing one of Englands
press lords, Hanfstaengl called it all
off suddenly with an announced
friendly settlement" the newspaper
paying the costs.
Blood Tie Plea Heard.
In the editorial and letter columns
Of the press there seems 20 be a con-
certed movement to assure the British
public that the Germans are fine fell
lows after all, and that the two peo-
pies are Of the same blood and should
be friends. A unanimity of expression
on the subject Of Germany having
abandoned any idea of "a second
punic war" against England or France
and is now looking eastward toward
the wheat fields of the Ukraine is
noticeable.
On the debit side Of the approach
ing entente are the members of the
Labor party, who regard the affairs
Of Fascist country with an abiding
adherence and suspicion. Secondly,
the clergy Of England are angered
by the attitude shown toward re-
| ligion by Der Fuhrer. Thirdly, the
Liberal party can't bring itself to look
with favor at the deprivations of per-
sonal liberty which are going on
across the Rhine. but that party has
! been so decimated in the last cleo
| tions that its opinions are almost
negligible.
! An incident which has not exactly
| cemented relations was the deporta-
/ ton of DR.. H w. Thost. unofficially
accredited as the head propagandist
/ in Britain of the NaZi cause. He had
made himself Objectionable on numer-
Gus occasions and was hustled out Of
the country with little notice follow
ing the failure to renew his passport.
Close on its heels came an opera
bouffe spy scare, with DR.. Hermann
Gortz as its villain. A great ado was
made for time, but the excitement
quickly died down.
France Enters Triangle.
The only cloud Of considerable pro-
portions on the horizon now is the
possible appointment of Winston
Churchill as first lord of the ad-
miralty after the London Naval Con-
ference is finished. This is a touted
appointment for next February. In
fact, it was touted Just after the gen.
eral election, when the new cabinet
slate was made up. 1t was said at
that time in the Liberal and Socialist
press that the reason Churchill was
passed over was that he had made
himself highly Objectionable to Ger
many by a magazine article entitled
THE Truth About Hitler" Official
representations were made by the
German government about it. At the
time of the cabinet selection in No
vember there was great anxiety over
the way France was acting toward
Italian sanctions. 1t was plainly no
time to be endangering relations also
with Germany, so many people were
not surprised when Churchill did not
regain his old post as first lord.
There are those who will maintain
that as long as there is the slightest
hope of harmony between England
and Germany continuing he will not
get it.
On the chessboard of European
diplomacy the move of Premier Laval
in seeking the friendship Of Germany,
even to the endangering of the Franco
Soviet pact, can be taken as pos
sible checkmate against Anglo-Ger-
man relations going too far in one
direction. If Laval is successful in
bringing of a German pact former
allies in war become rivals in lover
for their former enemy.