Evening star., 1938-03-07
Chicken-C Counting.

H10oe 10e SN2Et1ka mas waved over
Germany, MANY old-fakaainned mAxims
have gone by the hoards there. Still an
other-"Don't count Your chickens until
they're hatcfed. Just passed into
the discard. Hitler has instructed Nan
experts Do begin drafting laws to govern
life Ia overseas possessions. His orders,
Of course. are based on the expectation
that impending negotiations at London
and Berlin vill result in restoration Of
the bulk, If not Nil, Of Germanyx
colonial domain. Foreign Secretary
Won Ribbentropp Is arriving in England
to present his amhassadosial letters Of
recall from the Court Of St. james, and
Sir Neville Henderson is returning to his
embassy in Germany with Prime Minis
ter Chamberlain's mandate to discuss
an accord between Downing Street and
the Wilhelmstrasse.
While the "realist" now at the British
helm is concededly ready to go to great
lengths to buy OH Hitler, der Fuehrer
may find he is barking up the wrong tree
If he counts on getting back the Reich's
colonies for the mere asking. The bulk
Of those territories is under British man
date. It includes German East Africa,
German Southwest Africa and parts Of
Togoland and the Cameroons. Prob
ably the plum which the Nazis most
covet is the 322,400 square miles COM
prising what used to be known as Ger
man Southwest" but that huge strip
happens to adjoin the Union of South
Africa, which indicates every intention
of opposing its return to the former
owner. It is regarded as an inalienable
portion Of the Unions domain.
But the numerous rivers to be crossed
before colonial restoration is translated
from 4 desire into q realization do not
deter the apostles OF Gruendlichkeit
(thoroughness) from fndulging in an
other favorite Teutonic pastime, Zu-
kunftsmusik (music of the future). Thus
Na0 juriSconsults have been told OF to
work out Immediately law code for the
colonies, just as If they were already
once again German soil. A labor rela-
tions act. privileges, rights, duties and
pensions Of civil servants, economic AZ
rangements and host of other rules and
regulations exclusively applicable to
overseas territory are being drawn up,
ready to spring, full blown, into work.
ing order If, as and when any part Of the
pre-war African empire is returned to
Berlin's mercies-which, as more than
one pre-Nazi historian recorded, were
not always tender mercies, especially
with respect to treatment Of natives.
Colonial restoration per Sc is not an
unbeatable issue. Both the British
and French governments, long before
the Birmingham school Of balance
sheet diplomacy, indicated their willing
ness to consider it. But London and
Paris have also let Berlin know that
colonial concessions must be an integral
portion Of European appeasement-in-
deed, the cornice of such q structure
and not the corner stone. In plain
words. the Nazis will presently discover,
unless Mr.. Chamberlain is for peace"
with them at any price, that the time to
talk colonies is after. not before. Ger
many has pledged herself to abandon
aggression, permit cessation Of ruinous
armament expenditure. and generally
make life in Europe more endurable
than it has been since Adolf Hitler en-
barked upon the task Of converting
"Mein Kampf" from . program into q
hideous reality.