Evening star., 1938-10-07
MR.. NIBBLE SETTLES
EUROPEAN PROBLEMS
Mythical Letter Writer
Charts Course for
Statesmen.
TO the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
IN THE afternoon Of the 28th day Of
last month Mr.. George Nibble Of
Oshkosh, Wis, climbed down from his
stool in the wheeled diner, walked to the
mirror, adjusted his bow tie. removed
a piece of egg from his celluloid collar
and. noting that he had an hour to
spare before reporting at his filling sta
ton, went to his nearby room and typed
a letter to the Oshkosh Eagle.
Nibble said that Great Britain and
France would have no trouble In whip
ping Germany and italy to "a fare
you-well." They owed that duty to
Czechoslovakia, a small country which
the two democracies threatened, basely,
to desert. He wrote with the conviction
and certainty which usually accompany
total ignorance. He added that as for
the United States, we had no material
interest In any European conflict, but
we should root" for the righteous. The
speech which Mr.. Roosevelt delivered in
Chicago in October, 1887. In which he
uttered dire threats against any preda-
tory nation which dared to pillage an
inoffensive and helpless state, was, In
Mr.. Nibble's opinion, the result OF
presidential brainstorm. A letter he
had just read-the Presidents first to
Hitler-in which Mr.. Roosevelt ponti-
ficated that q war in Europe would GER
tainly entail human suffering and many
casualties-the Chicago speech had
slipped from the Presidents mind-met
with Mr.. Nibble's unqualified approval.
Especially that portion in which the
President, on behalf Of his country, said
that 1t could never become involved in
any European conflict.
While the letter to the Oshkosh Eagle
and thousand other letters from SINH
lar sources and of a like tenor were
being read in America, the very best
minds in England-and that is the little
country which produced Shakespeare,
Drake, Bacon, Newton, Marlborough,
Nelson, Wellington and the two Pitts
were engaged in studying the problem
which George Nibble had already solved.
Their task was not SO easy as that Of
the Eagles correspondent. They had to
pass upon reports from secret service
agents in every country Of the world.
They had to carefully estimate the labor
problems OF each country, friend or
potential foe, including their own rather
pressing one. Diplomatic reports from
which the future alignments of Ru-
mania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and
Belgium in any European war might
possibly be deduced had to be considered.
Then there was that little matter Of
home defenses and the present state of
the land and sea forces. That brought
up the question of Mohammedan unrest
in the Near East and the vulnerability
Of Britain's Asiatic possessions II at
tackled by Japan, the professed ally Of
Germany and Italy.
We do not know what, If any, con-
cluSion was reached during this inten-
sive study-which is still being pursued
but this may help us: When word
reached the House of Commons that
hostilities would be deferred pending q
meeting at the council table Of the rep
resentatives of the countries threatened
with war, Mr.. Chamberlain wept tears
OF gratitude and JOY and members of
that sedate body cried while they hugged
and kissed each other. That delirium
OF happiness, uneQualed in the islands
history since the battle of Waterloo,
Justifies us in concluding that the belief
OF Mr. George Nibble was not the belief
Of an informed England.
Then came the treaty Of Munich. The
settlement brought q present peAce-a
respite. 1t augmented Germanys popu-
lation by 100000 and added 100000
nghting men to her army. 1t put the
German Reich in possession of 3 range
OF mountains which enables 1t to domi-
nate the rich plains Of Bohemia. Incl
dentally, the agreement put a deadly
fear In every French heart and added
so tremendously to the prestige of Ger
many that number Of lesser European
states whose sympathies had been with
the democracies are now anxious to ally
themselves with the totalitarian state,
even though they know that ultimately
the protection they will get will be that
which the wolf gives to the lamb.
So there is jubilation in Germany.
italy Is pensive. There is Trieste and
the italian Tyrol with claimant German
minorities. In Great Britain there Is
an obsessing fear. An unmanning and
a justified fear. England knows that,
today, she is at the mercy of a combined
German-Italian air fleet.
Germany, while adding to her reservoir
of raw material and men, is increasing
her air fleet at the rate of 800 planes
per month. Englands capacity in the
same direction has limit of about $50.
But there Is an even more ominous and
terrifying factor. A few years ago Eng
lands air force, unit for unit, outnum-
bered Germany'S, 10 to l. BY sound
analogy, how long will England's present
naval supremacy last?
There lies lesson and warning for
the United States. The German work.
man is just as efficient as any other.
He puts in q 70-hour week and receives
wage just sufficient to buy his carefully
calculated necessaries Of life. His calories
are adequate but rationed. His daily
work at an end, he may drink little
weak beer and sing carefully selected
patriotic song. If he wishes to stop
work for q day, he applies to the au-
thorities for leave-and is refused. He
is always docile and acquiescent. He is
also healthy, happy and in fine physical
condition. In the result, Germany can
build a battleship-today that is her
chief occupation-for one-third OF its
cost in England and for one-fifth Of
what 1t would cost in America.
This brings us to that portion Of
George Nibble's letter in which he says
that we are not concerned in European
matters. George is hydra-headed fool.
We are as exposed to attack as is
Switzerland and much more tempting
bit of goods. Unless aided by England,
we, If attacked by an Italian German