Evening star., 1936-03-29
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
TOUR factors stood in the way Of
- war in Europe last week:
The determination of the

TOUR factors stood in the way OF
- war in Europe last week:
The determination Of the
i British government not to get
entangled in another European con-
fict;
The brutal policy of Hitler and his
plain speaking that he will not be in
Inundated by threats Of war because
his armies have reoccupied the Rhine
land;
The realization in France that their
allies-with the exception Of Russia
were not altogether reliable;
The conviction in London and in
Paris that the vast resources Of the
United States will no longer be avail
able to belligerents-on credit.
The questions put before the powers
gathered in London last week to court
martial Germany were:
rs Germany guilty of having vio-
lated the treaty of Versailles and the
Locarno pact?" The answer was an
uproarious Eyes"
The second question was. What
should be done against the violator?"
The answer was loud, but just as
plain. Nothing"
Loved France Like Mistress.
After the signature of the Locarno
treaty, Sir Austin Chamberlain de-
clared in an outburst of sentimental
enthusiasm that he "loved France as
a man loves his mistress" 1t is in a
spirit similar to that of Sir Austin
that Stanley Baldwin and Neville
Chamberlain treated France during
this crisis. The British government
pledged itself to defend France with
all its might. Deprived of the usual
diplomatic trappingS this pledge
means little, because of the two words
Capt. Eden took care to repeat-'if at
tackled
The British government is not wor-
,ried over a German attack against
France. They know that Hitler's aim
is to start as soon as possible the
"drang mach osten"-the push toward
the East-and not to seek a quarrel
with the French.
The expansionist movement of Hit
Ter toward the East-toWard the Black
Seas considered in Paris as q direct
menace to France. But not so in Lon
don. BiSmarck's statement Of some
60 years ago, that the whole East is
not worth the bones of single POM
eranian grenadier" has now been
adopted as British slogan.
And Flandin, who came to London
determined to force a showdown with
Germany. convinced that the British
would not shirk their responsibilities
understood that Frances case was
hopeless in England. If a showdown
was necessary France had to abandon
all hope of having the British fight
on their side.
Little Entente Only Lukewarm.
The 10 strenuous days in London
have shown something else to the
French, too: That the Little Entente
and Poland, the creation of France,
were only. lukewarm when it came to
lighting Germany. The same Little
Entente which was so enthusiastic
dUOub ub1uS 4O1NC dSRAAAoN N4aooOAAAAA
because of his Ethiopian "indiscretion'
became less war-thirsty when it re-
allied that the guns of the British
fleet and the squadrons Of the British
air force would not be absent in the
event of a war with Germany.
The fabric which keeps the French
and their satellites together in the
East, is fragile.
Poland is sentimentally with France.
But for reasons Of practical politics.
the instinct Of self-preservation forces
her to be on Germany's side. If
France were situated on Poland's bor-
ders there is no question that the
whole Polish nation would march
Fundamentally with the country which
gave them their independence and, in
| 1920, saved them from the Red legions
But France Is far away. and having
| to choose between Russia and Ger
many, the Poles prefer the latter.