The Washington times., 1938-03-12
Teetering, Still Teetering

~ wolf wolff" story about the little boy who told
of having been chased by wolf often that when
wolf finally did take after him nobody paid any atten-
ton to his caterWauls for European crisis has
followed European crisis for the last couple of years,
without formal declarations of Each time there is
an increasing tendency to believe it won't happen this
time either.
Yesterday however, Chancellor Schuschnigg of Aus
tra resigned after showing considerable courage against
German inroads for week The plebscite he had
D,,.. called for tomorrow indefinitely
postponed. And the Austrian news bu-
CdtLed UT reau reported that German troops had
crossed the Austrian border Passau Austrian SOL
djers being ordered to fall back without resistance.
All this recalls the tense days in 1884 when Mussolni
modified at the Brenner Pass to prevent German-Aus
tran Anschluss What encourages is that this latest
crisis doesn't look menacng to the democracies-Eng
land France and, remotely, the United Staes-as have
previous crises. Quite the contrary.
And what interests US most about this crisis is the
apparent radical change in the European picture in
short three weeks.
1t was Just three weeks tomorrow
Three that Adolf Hitler made his famng-sword
1Uoo1o speech, and that Anthony Eden quit Brit
'''"' ish foreign secretary. Then, it looked as
If Hitler and Mussolini had ronclad agreement
to divide up Central Europe between them and as if
Hitler had swallowed Austria
Czechoslovaka seemed doomed, with Italian
grab of French African colonies and German thrust
at Russia France both in the offng.
Now, Austria has at least shown some courage for
while, though Schuschnigg did at last resign.
Hitlers armed gestures at Austria are far different
from the love and kisses with which he smotherng
lat last
like the desperate lunge of somehow thwarted
dictator.
If the present European picture is what it seems to
be from here the democracies have once again come
topsde on the political There may be war;
-, ~ but the that would logically
we suspect hatch from this crisis would be war
OLJ EnoLo,J within the Rome Berlin axis compli-
Gated by civil war in Austria. Such
could hardly hurt democratic Britain and France
II they could keep enough sefcontro to stay out of it
and let the Fascist nations hack each other up.
The reason for the shift? We suspect the British
government now led by the realistic Neville Cham
berlain.
Our suspicion is that little British bird has been
whispering in Musss about how united Germany and
Austria would be fearful menace to him. what with those
100000 Tyroeans Italy took after the war; and ALL
We guess that the temporary stiffenng of Mr. Schu-
schnlggs backbone not much because Mr. Schu-
schngg has any CUTS than other politician as
because Muss had told him Italy would back him against
Germany. Which should in turn that Muss had
some sort of assurances from Great Britain Schuschngg
surmse forced out chiefly of stresses and
strains within Austria.
All this would leave Germany pretty much isolated
The other authoritarian state Russia has obgingy made
itself look by the treason trials like country so rent
by internal dssensions that it can't
Leaves RetCh fight outside its borders and can't
TsOLnted swing any weight in European politics.
Such smashing of the Rome Berlin
axis three weeks it has occurred leaves England and
France holding the high cards. If they play these
cards cagy they ought be able to stay out of long
time to If the authoritarian states go to work on
each other it will be tragic for lot of German, Austrian
and Italian boys and their families but it will strengthen
British and French democracy.
So Mr.. Chamberlain would seem to be far effec-
tive antiFascst than Mr. Eden who merely drove Italy
and Germany together by eternay peckng them Which
makes rather absurd the cry of Reds and liberals that
Britain has gone proFascst Britain see the present
European picture, has gone Brtish-whch it always
was before Eden