The Washington times., 1936-05-07
BY H. r. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright. 1885. BY International
News Service)

by n. N. AN1CAENbOCAEh
Copyright, 1885. by International
News Service)
LONDON, May z UN.S).
Europe is racing this summer. It
is q building race. Germany Is
building Notifications in the
Rhineland. France IS building q
wall Of alliances around Germany.
Britain is trying to build frame.
work Of peace to include Germany.
All three, and every other nation
in Europe, are building their mill
tary ADJUSTMENTS with deSper-
ate speed.
Upon the outcome Of this race
depends peace or war. But most
Of all depends on the speed Of
German fortification.
Until those Notifications are
strong enough to check the French
army not even the French expect
Germany to move. When they are
that strong the French and good
part Of the rest of Europe are
convinced Germany will be ready
to move. In which direction?
Guideposts to Future
Since March z when Hitler's
troops restored the sovereignty
Of the Reich" the European air
has been so thick with diplomatic
shell.fire between Berlin, Paris,
London and Rome that the mean.
ing Of the conflict has become
obscured. The three principal
documents, Locarno white book,
German reply and French counter
reply, alone run to $4,000 words,
and the total record Of the de-
liberations of the powers and Of
the League Council runs above
100000.
Out Of all these words emerged
three guidepoStS to aEurope'S sfus
ture. France asked Germany:
'DO you recognise the present
territorial boundaries Of Europe
as final?
"If you say you do, will you
consent to sign pactS Of mutual
assistance or subscribe to COM
mon agreement that other ma
tiOns shall come to the help Of
any nation attacked by an az.
greSSOr?
"Will you promise not to for.
tify the Rhineland?"
To the first question Germany
has not answered, and France
takes silence as . negative. France
is now convinced that Germany
intends really to carry out the
NaN program of bringing all the
German.Speaking peoples Of Eu.
rope into the Reich.
Colonization Aims Seen
That would mean as q be-
ginning the annexation Of Aus
tria, the German strip Of Czecho-
slovakia. Upper Silesia, and the
Polish corridor. Memel and
SchleSwig, in Denmark. After
that, or along with that, France
believes, will come the German
push for colonies, not necessarily
in Africa, but in Europe itself,
for France is sure that Germany
regards the Soviet Union as q
land to colonize.
To the second question Ger
many replies that she will sign
pactS Of non-aggresSion individ-
ually with each neighboring ma
ton, but refuses to sign pacts Of
mutual assistance. This, declares
France, is proof positive Of Ger
nany'S aggressive designs.
Germany, asserts France, Is
playing q game too transparent
to fool anybody. She wants to
sign with each individual state
a mutual promise not to attack.
Then, when Germany Is ready to
invade one particular state, all
the others will have to stand idly
by and watch because they have
promised Germany not to attack
her.
FortificatiOns Issue.
To the third and crucial queS-
ton, Germany has made no reply
save to say she would limit her
Notifications to the same degree
France limits hers. France has
spent a national fortune on her
Maginot line Of steel. Germany's
reply means tear that down and
we won't fortify" No French gov
ernment could propose to tear il
down and live 80 minutes. Ger
mans retort that in that case nc
German government could fail to
build Notifications and retain the
support Of its people.
So Germany must build. And
France regards the German forti
ficationS as the last, best proof
that Germany means war. Not
war at once upon France, but wal
upon Frances allies, east and
south.
These allies are Poland, the
Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia
YugoSlavia, Rumania. France be
lieves she needs them all. She re
members the last war when Ger
many for four years hattled the
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