The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-10-14

ing infiexible leadership. Hitler sup
plies it. He promised them new
life, and he apparently has made
good on just enough of his promises
to provide him with continued pow
er. Most people who have been able
to study Hitler's programs at close
range declare the whole house Of
cards eventually will collapse. But
for the moment, there is faction,
and the hope and the desires and
the expectations of the German peo-
pie provide fertile ground for the
dogmas and the demagoguery of a
dictator. They will not be "subju-
gated"
Is Hitler Through With
Demands? Is the Question
5. We must not be too confident
about the purity of purpose of those
who guided the affairs of Czecho-
slovakia. The glory that was Czech
oslovakia was stained more, am
afraid, than most Of us Americans
know. It is hard to believe all of
the things, all of the methods Of op-
preston, charged against the
Czechs. Information concerning
their treatment of the Sudeten Ger
mans in Czechoslovakia was distort-
ed by the Germans. There can be
no doubt of that, because the propa-
ganda machine of DR.. Goebbels was
working overtime. There was
enough leaked through, however, to
show that the Prague government
was guilty of some harshness. It
may have been that the Sudetens,
themselves, brought it on. OF that,
there can be only a guess. On the
other hand, we have seen enough of
the pulling and snarling, the sniping
and trickery Of other minorities to
have reasonably good idea of what
could have gone on within the con-
fines of Czechoslovakia during its
20 years of life.
What of the settlement? Is Hitler
through with his demands? Are
there other underlying motives and
conditions yet to be dealt with and
outside of the desires of the German
minority to get back to the Reich?
The answers to these questions
explain why I said at the outset that
the peace appeared only for "a
while" The Czechs probably have
been "sold down the river" to save
the continent of Europe. / have no
faith in the man, Hitler; almost as
little faith in Mussolini, the other
dictator. The Czechs are going to
be unhappy a long time; they will
be resentful, and maybe they will
start something. Hitler doubtless
still wants the German colonies TAX
en- away by the Versailles treaty. It
would be strange, likewise, if he did
not want "the Polish corridor" re-
stored to Germany. Each ambition
constitutes a fostering sore.
Hitler Plans to Make
Germany Self-SuAfcient
Underneath all of the problem,
too, lies Hitler's program to make
Germany self-sufficient, to make the
nation independent Of foreign
sources of supply. The Rumanian
oil fields, rich and productive, are
coveted by more than one nation.
England and English oil interests
maintain a rather definite control,
but it is control that can be broken
easily. On the other side of Ruma-
MIA is the dictator, Mussolini, who
displayed the true character of his
soul by his rape of Ethiopia. Put
these things together and draw your
own conclusion, mindful always that
to the north lies a great Russian
bear, governed by an individual with
different concepts, ruled by a steel
boot, people who can be fired with
hatred for the Hitler type Of govern
ment. Some say even that Stain is
only awaiting an opportunity to jump
astride Hitler's neck. Anyway, just
remember that Stain is over there,
too.
Finally, in Britain and in France,
there are differing groups. Prime
Minister Chamberlain. Daladier. ]
wonder if two men, especially, with
regard to Chamberlain, ever carried
a greater burden when they went to
meet Hitler; when they were seek
ing to prevent catastrophe by what
the Czech partisans called, selling
the Czechs down the river?" Politi-
cally, both Chamberlain and Dala-
der will have to fight for their lives
within their respective nations OF
England and France. One or both
may sink into oblivion as a result OF
the courage shown. And who knows
what underlying motives existed in
addition to a fear of general war?
Their trip to Munich on September
20 was fateful trip, one which we
in the United States may have to
wait several years fully to under
stand.
And so, the final question is: can
Hitler bring his own people back
from the brink of war, from the fer
vor of war preparation, to the life
and economy of peace? That is q
very real problem.
@western Newspaper Union.