Evening star., 1938-09-15
By WALLACE r. DEUEL.,

BY WALLACE r. DEUEL.,
Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
BERLIN, Sept. 15.-The odds in
favor, Of European peace went up like
skyrocket today.
With a plebiscite likely, either be-
fore or after, the sudeten Germans Of
Czechoslovakia will probably be united
with the Reich In one form or another
within the relatively near future, and
probably the Poles and Hungarians
Of Czechoslovakia, with their respec-
tive mother countries as well, and there
probably will be no major war on the
Czech question, perhaps not even q
minor war.
These, at least, are the conclu-
sions which both the Germans and
expert foreign observers in Berlin draw
from the dramatic decision Of Neville
Chamberlain to visit Reichsfuehrer
Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden today.
The British Prime Minister is max
ing . pilgrimage to Canossa. 1t Is felt
here, and by far the most likely OUT
come Is that the British, and therefore
the French. will support the enforce
ment Of the principle Of self-determi-
nation In Czechoslovakia, meaning the
return Of German, Polish and Hun
garian minorities on Czech frontiers
to their respective mother countries,
either in the form OF . kind of ''Danzig
autonomy" or that Of outright annex
alton.
Chances Against War.
Assuming that the British and
French do support German demands
for self-determiantion in Czechoslo-
vakia, the chances are overwhelmingly
against q major war, even If the
Czechs choose to tight. 1t is Thought
in Berlin. But will the Czechs tight?
If they know they would be abso-
lutely alone In both a military and
moral sense? And If they knew that
by fighting they would lose their whole
country, whereas by giving up border
minorities they would be able to keep
the rest Is an at least outwardly
independent and relatively homo
genous Czech or Czechslovak state? -?
A good many people here think that
in such circumstances the Czechs
might decide that half loaf is bet
ter than no bread at all.
Prime Minister Chamberlain's de-
cision to go to Berchtesgaden fully
justifies all these calculations, 1t is
thought here. For this decision seems
in Berlin to confirm, beyond much
real doubt, the soundness Of the cal
culations Reichsfuehrer Hitler made
some time ago. that in the last
analysis England would agree to at
least partial partition Of Czechslo-
vakia rather than 60 to war with
Germany to prevent 1t.
Acting on this calculation, Hitler
has struck one sledge-hammer blow
after another, and broken down one
opposing barrier after another. And
the closer these sledge hammer blows
have brought events to q spoint at
which the only choice for" England
seemed to be between a major war,
on the one hand. and peace at the
price Of full Czech independence, and
territorial integrity, on the other
the clearer it has seemed to the
Nazis that England would pay the
price Of peace. -
Three Reasons for Belief.
England would be all the more
ready to pay this price, Hitler has
calculated, for three chief reasons:
First, Germany Is so strong that q
war against the Reich would ruin
its enemies even If they should
theoretically win the war.
Second, even If these enemies
should win, what kind Of peace terms
could they impose which would ma
terially help achieve their ends?
Overthrow the regime?e Partition the
Reich? Levy heavy reparations7
Germanys enemies tried this sort
Of thing the last time. The results
do not encourage any attempt, to
repeat the experiment.
And, third, the main issue in the
Czech question is the right of self
determination, the right OF the
Sudeten Germans and Poles and Hun
garians in Czechoslovakia to belong
to the countries to which they want
to belong. Would the British and
French be ready to go to war with
an avowedly ruthless, fanatical Ger
many, armed to the teeth, to deny
the right Of self-determination7 Hit
Ter has calculated that they would not,
Aware q Anglo-French Threat.
Throughout the whole Czech crisis
Hitler has known perfectly well thai
II the crisis should take certain formi
tho 1ritsh and French probably