Evening star., 1936-02-20
Europe, Feuerisly Arn'ing,
Is Convinced War Is Near;
Frenzy Seises Au Nations
British Thinkers Suddenly Realize
Inadequacy of Air Defense-Reich
Held Sure to FOrtify Rhine.

Great Britain has awakened at last.
Has her awakening come too late?
The weakness of her position is that
preparation for modern war Is not so
much a matter Of men and weapons
as of industrial organization.
The entire manufacturing systems
of Germany and Italy are already
functioning on a war basis under the
autocratic control Of despots who rem
der accounts to no one. The indus
tries of Great Britain are unorganized
and independent. The government
can deal with them only by nego-
tiation, and the government Is itself
criticized and controlled by demo-
cratic majority in which many shades
of opinion are represented.
Cling. to Diplomacy.
Although the resurgence of Ger
many as mighty nation in arms has
aroused the easy-going British to
spend $500. 100000 in a scramble to
refit themselves for war, they still
cherish the secret hope Of conjuring
the catastrophe by adopting diplomacy
and moral suasion.
The instinct Of Britain now is to
make friends with Germany and act
as an honest broker between her and
France. But Britain's hands are not
free as they used to be. They are
tied by pacts, such as the League COW
enant and the Locarno bond. That
enlightened opportunism, which of old
served her SO well, is cramped by
pledges such as that which has thrust
her against her own interests and
inclinations into a state of suppressed
hostility toward Italy.
If the European crisis were not so
urgent. it might be hoped that the
new King Edward VIII. with his
broadmindedness and charm, might
somehow find a way to reconcile Great
Britain and Germany in the same
way as his grandfather, Edward VII,
brought Britain and France into an
entente cordiale.
But the time of trial Is close at
hand. The Nazi regime each year
needs big feather to stick in its
cap. Last March Hitler proclaimed
the restoration of military service in
Germany. Will he next month an
nounce that the new German army
has re-occupied the demilitarized zone
of tie Rhineland, where both the
peace treaty and the Locarno pact
prohibit the maintenance of troops OF
fortresses? The chances are three to
one that he will.
May Attack Russia.
Back of the vast military prepara-
tions of Germany lies, If not the in
tention, certainly the instinct to at
tack Bolshevist Russia. I know Hit
Ter we'll, and believe in his sincerity
But also believe in his suggestibility
He is genuine now in his proclama-
| tion of peaceful purposes but the ir-
resistible urge Of young German man
hood to use the arms that were so
painfully acquired may well inspire
his prophetic temperament with the
conviction that it is his destiny to
lead a crusade against communism in
Russia.
His generals will never agree to an
attack on Russia without first secur-
ing Germany,s western frontier against
France. For this are necessary, first,
military reoccupation Of the Rhine
land. and, secondly, building of a
chain Of fortresses like those which
France has established on her side OF
the frontier. This will take two years
If no unexpected incident happens to
precipitate events, Europe may yet
have two years of precarious peace,
and Great Britain two years to
sharpen her blunted sword. After
that, the stage will be set for Arma-
geddon.
Copyright. 1895. by the North American
NeWSDaper Alliance Jpr