Evening star., 1936-09-13

that they represent only 81 per cent
of the total population of the coun-
try and want to subject the other 40
per cent to their rule. They are treat
ing shamefully their German citizens.
Furthermore, they have allied them
selves now with our arch enemies,
the Russians. Under these circum-
stances, public opinion in Germany is
bouno to prevent Der Fuehrer from
negotiating any agreement with the
Prague government. We understand
why, since they have lost hope of OBJ
tanning direct help from the French
because the Rhineland is no longer a
no-mans land. they felt compelled to
turn towards the Soviets. They will
have to bear the consequences
unless they throw the Soviet alliance
o7erboarG And for the time being
there are no such signs. Benes'
speeches are interesting, but his al
lege pacific intentions are contra
dicted by facts which have come to
our knowledge. And these facts are
that their army is now practically un-
der the control of the Moscow general
staff"
Bluff Has Real Backing.
There is a certain amount of bluff
in this attitude. 1t wants to scare
the Czechs into unconditional sub
mission to the German wishes. And
because a political bluff must be ac-
companied by some tangible action,
the German government intends to
close the River Elba to Czechoslo-
vakian transit. 1t will be q heavy
blow for that country. because its raw
materials which come by sea to Bre-
men and Hamburg are shipped from
there to Czechoslovakia by way of
the Elba. Economically. Germany has
the whip hand in Central Europe and
intends to make good use of it. No
negotiations for trade or political
agreement between the two countries
will begin until the Czech govern
men, scared out its wits. Is willing
to yield to any demand from Berlin.
With France hemmed in, there is
little hope for the countries east Of
the Rhine to resist successfully the
German pressure. The French real
ize this. They think that they may
have been overcautious when they
did not make a casus belli out of the
reoccupation of the Rhineland by the
Reichswehr. But they realize that it
is too late now to do anything about
it. They are using their Russian al
lance to inspire courage to their al
lies. They exaggerate the force Of
the Russian armies. The French gen.
eral staff has little faith in it. France
believes that the outbreak of a war in
the near future might still bring
the armies of the Central and South
eastern European states to her side.
In Germany have found few peo-
pie who believe that any Of these
states would commit suicide for
France. The general staff in Prague.
for instance, believes that the army
can resist a German onslaught for
three months. In Paris they give
them only three weeks Berlin gives
them three days at the utmost.
With the Rhine frontier guaran-
teed against any surprise movement
from the west, Germany can use her
mechanized forces. and her mobile
divisions with lightning speed against
the minor Central European states
and then plunge heavily into the
Russian campaign. That is what the
remilitarization of the Rhineland has
done to Europe. The French system
of alliances has collapsed like .
castle made OF sand.
(Copyrisht. 1885, by The Evening Star
Newspaper Co..