Evening star., 1937-01-17
EUROPELOOKI TO u. S.
FOR PEACE ASSURANCES
Showdown Between France and Dicta.
torial Reg times Inevitable Unless
Unexpected Development Occurs.

ARMY Will IdukS anu duplducS, Dut
they cannot continue indefinitely to
do this. They have been told that they
must sacrifice their appetite in order
to provide the Reich with an invincible
army. The task of that superlative
war machinery is to provide the 65,-
000, 1000 Germans with raw materials
which would enable them to keep
their industry working all the time.
The German people see the end Of
the stick. They believe that when
the arms of the Reich have forced
the "haves" into submission and have
made them yield colonies to Germany,
the era of heavy military expenditure
will be over and the people will eat
again to their hearts content.
So far, Hitler's regime has Subsisted
on moral victories, such as the de-
struction of the treaty of Versailles
These victories have not added one
inch of territory to the Reich, neither
have they made the people more pros
porous and independent of foreign raw
materials. Quite the contrary. And
while Hitler's colleague, Mussolini, has
been able to provide his people with
new empire gained at relatively small
sacrifice, Hitler is giving his people
speeches, moral victories, and a repu-
tation as the most feared nation in
the world.
Prestige Is Problem.
People can be fed on prestige for
while. but not forever. And this is
Der Fuehrer's chief problem today.
Like Mussolini in 1885. he is confront
ed with the alternatives expand or
explode" And since an explosion in
the Reich would be incomparably
more virulent and drastic than in
Italy, Hitler is bent on expansion. He
would perfer that under his thunder
ing threats Europe should knuckle
down and give him territories with
happen, he may be forced to expand
by violence.
Diplomats, so fond of international
gatherings, feel that the present tense
situation might be relieved by another
conference. This idea is especially
popular in London. where the gov
ernment is seriously concerned over
the consequences of another European
tragedy at a time when Great Britain
still is far behind with her military
preparations. The British cabinet is
especially worried over the alarming
attitude of the French government.
Blum is one of those sincere pacifists
who will not hesitate one second to
go to war. once he realizes that, de-
spite his efforts and conciliatory atti-
tude. the others want to fight. And
there is every indication that the peo-
pie of France will be 100 per cent be-
hind him on this occasion. Whether
a conference to pacify Europe is pos
Sible, it is difficult to forecast at this
time. However, there is a unanimous
opinion in Paris and London that
should the initiative come from the
United States. the war clouds over
Europe would be dispersed in less than
48 hours.
On more than one occasion Presi-
dent Roosevelt has pointed out how
to him and to the Ameri-
can people at large are the dictatorial
systems which exist in certain Euro
pean and Asiatic countries He does
not tire of extolling the advantages
of the democratic forms of govern
ment. His remarks-the last ones
were made at Buenos Aires and in his
to CongreSS-were Interest,"
ing but not sufficiently strong to make
dictators sit up and take notice.
Duty of Democratic Head.
1t Is pointed out by diplomatic OBJ
servers that while it is incompatible
with the government of any country
to express any definite strong opinion
about the system of government other
countries choose to have it is the duty
of the head of democracy to express
In clear terms his thoughts at time
when relationships spread out of the
confines of their own territories and
threaten the world with another war.
The proposed conference, called by
the President of the United States,
would consider the just German
claims for new territories containing
raw materials. France, according to
reports from Paris, is quite willing
to yield the old German colonies she
now is holding under a mandate from
the League of Nations. Their value
is negative. Britain might be con-
vinced that it would be cheaper to
yield certain other territories to ap-
pease Germany. The expense of such
a sacrifice would be incomparably
smaller than another war. In fact,
it would hardly represent the cost
of a months fighting
Moreover, Mr.. Roosevelt is urged.
he could doubly insure the universal
effectiveness of his declaration by
backing it up with an order return
ing portion Of the United States
fleet to Atlantic ports-where it was
stationed until 1893. In 1914, Great
Britain was in position to avoid the
World War, had her leaders made a
timely announcement about the posi-
ton OF the empire in such a conflict.
Now the destiny of Europe, they say,
is in the hands of the United States.
(Copyright 1872