The Washington times., 1936-09-16
WAR BELIEVED
CERTAIN IN
s. EUROPE
BY ROBERT G. NIXON
International News Service

Burdened by the greatest peace
time military machines in his
tory, Europe is believed nearer
war today than at any time since
the cataclysmic summer of 1914.
Grave fears are felt by inter
national experts here that some
untoward incident may prove a
new Sarajevo to touch off the
explosion of another world war.
These fears, mounting through
the summer under the whip of
the Fascist Communist hatr e d
displayed in the Spanish civil
war, have been aggravated by
Reichfuehrer Hitler's belligerent
verbal assaults on the Soviet.
A high authority today admitted
recent events in Europe have
forced him to the reluctant belief
that war Is inevitable.
Hopes for Delay
The hope was expressed, how
ever, that fear Of one nation for
another may stave off the con-
flict indefinitely.
How long EUrope's taxpayers
can stand the terrific burden Of
supporting the huge armies before
reaching the economic cracking
point, may prove a vital factor in
the outburst Of the next Titanic
struggle, it was pointed out.
Sooner or later, such a nation
Is Germany, for instance, which
was stripped of its colonies by
the Versailles Treaty and is with
out natural resources within its
own borders, must, it is believed,
reach out for new lands, like
Japan and italy have done.
Hitler Looks to East
The Reich, Hitler made clear in
the Nazi party congress at Nurem-
berg, is looking eastward for Ger
many'S new place in the sun. Der
Fuehrer told his supporters:
'Tf I had the Ural Mountains
with their incalcuIable store Of
treasures in raw materials, ST.
IBERIA with its vast forests and
the Ukraine with its tremendous
wheat fields, Germany and the
National Socialist leadership
would swim in plenty!"
To the west and south, Ger
nany'S expansion is blocked.
Britain has declared she will OPP
pose any westward move so that
an attack on Belgium or France
would inevitably bring Germany
In conflict again with Britain.
TO the south, Germany faces
avowed warfare with italy should
she move in that direction. There
also is the complication Of the
Little Entente - CZechoslovakia,
Rumania and Yugoslavia-which
have definite commitments toward
France, though Rumania recently
has shown Nazi tendencies.
The insults aimed at the Soviet
from the NaZi congress has given
rise to belief that Hitler may be
deliberately attempting to provoke
the Soviet to attack.
France and the Soviet have a
mutualassistance pact in the
event Germany attacks either, but
it is not clear what France would
do should Germany provoke the
Soviet into making the first move.
Should war come between Ger
many and the Soviet it is believed
Hitler counts on Japan making a
simultaneous attack on Russia in
the Far East.
Poland Holds Key
Poland holds key position In
any struggle involving the forces
Of Communist Russia and Nazi
Germany.
To strike at the Soviet, Ger
many would have to march
through Poland, Czechoslovakia or
the Baltic States. The two ma
tons have no adjoining border.
Poland, which signed an alli-
ance with France in 1921, then
was wooed by Hitler in 1884,
has again been flirting with
France. French Minister of Com
MERGE Paul Bastid has journeyed
to Warsaw to effect an economic
pact with Poland.
Should Poland switch her SYM
pathies and side with Germany
in a war against the Soviet, the
NaZi ambitions would be much
more easily attainable. But with
Poland'S modern army opposing
an eastward move by Germany
such step may well prove dis
astrouS.
VOTE AMERICAN