Evening star., 1937-11-17
Britain and the Nazis,

European history may be fashioned
this week as the result of the Berlin visit
OF Vlscount Halifax, Lord President of
the Council of the British Cabinet. He
is to explore the conditions which have
produced tension in Anglo German re-
latlons in the hope that from conver-
sations with Chancellor Hitler possibili-
ties of relieving that situation may
emerge.
From der Fuehrers periodically explo-
sive utterances Europe Is aware of the
Reich's chronic discomfort with its So
called "have-not" status Wis Wis nations
like Great Britain, France, Russia and
the United States, with p1enteous sup
plies of foodstuffs and raw materials.
Because the Nazis serve bellicose notice
that desperation might goad them into
taking by force what they cannot OBJ
tain by concession or eXtortion, Great
Britain has embarked upon a $780,
100000 rearmament program 1t is mo-
tivated by Mr.. Baldwins famous dictum
that "Britain's frontier is on the Rhine"
a confession of John Bulls vulnerability
to attack by Germany's air armada.
Since Baldwin thus dramatized his coun-
try's strategic plight, Britains frontier"
has been flung still farther afield, for
Italy's pretensions in the Mediterranean
now compel London to view the Middle
Sea as frontier" too
But it is the German danger that pre-
ponderantly obsesses Downing Street and
inspires the Halifax mission. Twenty
five years ago, another eminent British
statesman. Viscount Haldane, went to
Berlin on similar errand. In 1912, as
in 1887, it was German armaments, the
kalsers bid for naval supremacy, that
caused misgivings in London. Lord Hal
dane bore an olive-branch in the form
of proposals for cessation of rivalry at
sea. Won Tirpitz and the architects of
Der Tag were unreceptive. Two years
later Germany and Great Britain were
at war.
That the overwhelming bulk of pres
ent-day British opinion Graves an under
standing with Germany is as certain as it
seems that the permanent hierarchy of
the Foreign Office opposes any modi-
fcation of the status quo through un-
reasonable yielding to German demands.
Mr.. Chamberlain, an essentially busi-
nesS-mnded statesman, favoEs deal"
with Hitler. He is supported by those
other peace-at-any realists in his
cabinet, Sir Samuel Hoare, of the ILL
smelling Hoare-Laval attempted sell-out
of Ethiopia, and Sir John Simon, wrecker
OF Anglo-American united action against
Japan in 1882. Foreign Secretary An
thony Eden personif1es that rugged Brit
ish sentiment which gags at being black
mailed into German "appeasement" 1t
was distinguished Briton, referring to
the Colonial readjustment question"
raised by Hitler, who recently said that
the British would regard such a read
justment as the "cornice of the edifice"
and that the foundations" of this edi-
flee would naturally have to be con-
structed before the cornice was put in
place-those foundations being limita-
ton or reduction of armameuts and
non-aggression pacts.
On the eve of Lord Halifax's trip to
Berlin, it was reported that Germany
would lay before him a plan not to
raise the Colonial restoration issue for
ten years if Britain would give the Nazis
"a free hand in Central Europe" In
July, 1914, when the Kaiser sought to
purchase British neutrality by offering
to take no territory from France proper,
while raiding the French colonies, Sir
Edward Grey instructed his Berlin AM
bassador to say that such proposals can
not be entertained for a moment; that
to make this bargain with Germany at
the expense of France would be dis
grace from which the good name of Eng
land would never recover; and that If,
in crisis like this, we run away from
the obligations of honor and interest
inherent, doubt whether, whatever ma
terial force we might have at the end,
it would be of very much value in face
of the respect that we should have lost"
Those words stirred the souls of the
whole English-speaking universe. It
should presently develop whether the
bulldog breed from which they sprang
abides