Evening star., 1936-09-20
REICH HOLDS ANTISOVIET
DRIVE AIDS EUROPE PEACE
Leaders See Centuries-Ol Mission to
Spread Civilization Beyond
Vistula.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
~ ERLIN-"We have a centuries
* old mission to spread western
civilization east Of the Vistula
into the steppes Of Russia.
But under the present circumstances,
we have more pressing duty towards
Germany in particular and Europe in
general That duty is to crush Com
munism. And we must start with the
center Of infection-Moscow." Thus
spoke one Of Germany's behind-the-
stage leaders of the new Reich.
Germany is the only nation which
can accomplish this task" he contin-
ued. After we have crushed Com
munism, every nation in Europe-in-
Guiding the French-will be grateful
to us. Germany does not want to
conquer the world: we want to live in
peace and keep our place in the sun.
But as long as Europe and other coun-
tries are continually menaced by
Communist propaganda, a peaceful
and steady development in Europe
WILL uOt DC pOSSlDle.
And these opinions are shared by
the bulk of the German nation, in
whom the idea of a war against Rus
sia has been steadily instilled.
The German general staff and the
people are confident that war with
Russia must end with complete and
speedy victory for the Reich. This
self-reliance comes from two sources.
The first is based on the fact that
Hitler's Germany has been able to
throw of the shackles of the Versailles
treaty and create within four years a
military force stronger than the en-
pire had in 1914. And this was accom-
plished in the face of open hostility Of
three-fourths of Europe and the
United States. The other factor is
that the general staff has been able
to convince the people of Germany
that Russia is a giant with clay feet.
and that large as it is the military
machinery of the Soviets will, in few
months, crumble before the power
fully-organized lighting forces of the
Reich.
oCEIh4Ay 1AlOhCu <AUVuss
Until four years ago. every German
viii tell you. the Reich was consid-
cred a pariah by the Europea1- coun-
tries. Its leaders had to go hat in
hand to Paris and London to ask
whether it might have an army ade-
quate to police German territory, or
such ornaments in small quantities
as other nations possessed. And they
were systematically refused. Ger
man was kicked about not only by its
former powerful opponents, like
Francs and Great Britain, but even
by the smaller nations who were
Frances allies. Field Marshal Won
Blomberg. minister of war, tells even
today the story Of how tr 1929 the
Polish authorities used to compel him
to surrender his sword at the border of
the Polish Corridor, whenever he trav-
eled from Berlin to Koenigsberg,
where he commanded the End Prus-
sian Division.
Now this situation has completely
changed. Without any outside help
and despite terrific economic difficult
ties, Germany today has become the
most feared military power in Europe.
And for this the Reich has to thank
only Hitler and the generals. The
change from a democratic to an au-
thoritarian state has done the trick.
W. t. Germans read in their gov
ernment-controlled press that their
most bitter foes are coming to Ber-
lin to try to talk Hitler into some
sort of an agreement; when t..ey see
the Saar returned to them and the
Rhineland frontier bristling with guns
from the newly-built fortresses, erect
ed in recent months despite the YER
sailles treaty, they cannot hell think
ing that militariasm in Europe IS,
after all, q paying proposition.
The spectacular German coups in
the field of international politics were
performed, as far as the outside world
could see it, by Hitler. But it is
well-known fact to the insiders in
Berlin that the Reichsfuehrers ac-
tions were the result Of carefully
studied plan of the Reichwehr gen.
erals-principally the chief of staff
Gen. Fritsch and Gen. Beck. It Is
these two men who. working behind
the scenes, have pushed Hitler to ac-
tions which he sometimes was reluc-
tant or afraid to take. It i Gen.
Beck who, with Fritsch's assistance,
induced Der Fuehrer to remilitarize
the Rhineland. Hitler spent a sleep
less night on March 7 waiting for the
telephone to ring and announce that
the Sarraut government In Paris had
decided to mobilize the French army.
Beck stood by his guns. II know the
Gamelin type" said Beck. (Gen.
Gamelin Is the French chief c. staff
'ie will never assume the RESPONSE
birt..' of a general or even partial mo-
bilization because he believes that
the French army is not sufficiently
prepared" And Beck was right.
Gamelin did estop the French govern
ment from issuing the mobilization
order at the cabinet meeting Of
March 8.
Germany Hens in France.
Uuder the inspiration Of the most
brilliant general staff in Europe, Ger
many has hemmed in France. The re-
militarization of the Rhineland has
rendered the chief supporter Of the
6oviets powerless to rush to the rescue
of her ally. There are 250,o0o Reichs-
wehr troops in the Rhineland. These
troops, behind the line Of fortifcations
consisting of pill boxes" each man
ned by two men and q machine gun,
will render the crossing Of the Rhine
by French soldiers very difficult and
lengthy affair.
Frances offensive power against the
Reich has been practically paralyzed
since March 7. 1896. Thus, the Ger
man general staff considers that only
q small portion Of the Reichswehr will
be required to hold the line, while the
bulk Of the Reich's military machinery
win be thrown against the soviets.
whether the penetrating point Will be
through Czechoslovakia and Hungary,
or through Poland is naturally q mill
~.c~of