Evening star., 1938-07-31

other Danubian states, accustomed" to the
pan-Germanic idea
Before 1945 the Danube will be con.
nected with the Rhine through the Main
Canal. Vienna will then become the Ham,
burg OF Eastern Europe. The Blue River
is already German reservation. Soon
after the annexation Of Austria the Reich
established powerful flotilla OF river gun
boats and monitors, which exercises COM
plete control over that important water
way The Austrian steamship line was
amalgamated with the Bavarian Lloyd and
the South German Navigation Co. New
cargo vessels, especially lighters, were added
to the commercial feet. In the meantime,
the four-year program was applied to Aus
tria and huge silos, oil tanks and refineries
are being built in the former capital city.
Through the Main Canal, Germany will
dominate economically and politically the
whole Of Eastern Europe 1t will be the
principal highway through which German
goods will be exported to the eastern mar
kets and the products of the East, raw
materials chiefly, will reach Germany to
be transformed into manufactured prod
ucts. The Black Sea will be directly con-
nected with the Baltic; the agricultural
states Of the Danube will be in position
to exchange freely their products with
those Of industrial Germany.
Spain's Wealth Previously Explored.
But the colonizing ambitions of the
totaltarian states do not end with the
conquest Of the Danube Spain also enters
into the grandiose scheme. The economic
drive in Spain preceded political assistance
by two years. In 1884 consortium Of Ger
man industrialists sent group of experts to
explore the subsoil in the Iberian PENN.
sula. They looked particularly for tungsten
and Ignite, the latter with view to max.
marines
After the civil war broke out the ex.
ploring work continued. German and
Italian businessmen accompanied Francos
victorious mercenaries. AS Frances troops
moved north, the British-owned mines OF
Rio Tinto fell into the hands of the Italians
and the Germans. 1t was not long before
the British company found it could not
sell its pyrites where it liked-huge quanti-
ties went to Germany and compensations
were paid in Franco pesetas, for which the
mine owners had no USE
Germany's and Italy's need for raw ma
terials, at present and in the future,
determine Frances strategy. He launched
his drive on Bilbao in 1887 to secure the
vast iron mines in that section. The Con-
sett Iron & Steel Co.. and the Guest Keen
and Nettleforlds Co.. which controlled
the Orconera Co.. the largest mining
corporation in Northern Spain, suffered
heavy losses. Britain's rearmament pro-
gram was retarded and the British gov
ernment, deprived of free imports from
Northern Spain, had to purchase 100000
tons Of iron in Newfoundland.
Britain's attitude toward Franco has
been determined largely by the fear of
losing those important sources of raw ma
terial and still more important financial
investments. This fear explains why the
Chamberlain government refused to take
strong action in face Of Frances repeated
provocations. But if Franco had any idea
Of double-crossing his present 'bene-
have taken the necessary precautions to
prevent such slip" A large textile
company-the Filatures Tejidos Anda-
luses-financed by German capital, will
begin production in October. A German
firm obtained" contract for the de-
velopment Of the Port Of Pasajes and the
German commercial airlines have an al
most complete monopoly Of the Spanish
airways
Italy Carries on Penetration.
Italy. has made equal sEides In the
economic penetration Of Spain. Italian
imports OF Spanish iron ore jumped from
$4,000 tons in 1885 to 10000 in 1897.
Manganese rose from $4,000 to $4,000
tons. new Italian-spanish bank, with
headquarters in Rome. was organized re-
Gently along the lines Of the Albanian
Italian Bank, which has done so much
to make Albania a protectorate of Italy
Italian civil service men are now in every
key position in Frances government and
their number increases as Frances troops
conquer new sections Of Spain
With this set-up. neither Italy nor Ger
many need seek colonial expansion outside
Europe. Colonies in Africa mean starting
operations from scratch. and a fleet to
maintain communications They mean
heavy expenditures and dealing with COL
ored subjects who may be melted to rise
against the ruler Their equivalent in
Europe means no responsibilities for gov
erning the countries which remain nomi-
nally independent: means maintaining an
army which will keep these countries
lined up. and means "remunerative ex.
penditures" instead Of the wasteful in
vestments for colonization exploitation and
exploration.
Der Fuehrer, so at least he told the
British foreign secretary, does not want
physical destruction OF C7echoslovakia.
But he does desire that it abandon its
present policies 1t Is not the treatment
Of the Sudeten Germans which is troubling
the Reich; that question could be settled
In short time to the satisfaction Of every
body. But 1t is essential that the Czecho-
slovak government shall agree not to
block Germanys drive for domination Of
the Danubian Basin. AS long as President
Benes maintains his alliances with France
and Russia, Hitler cannot be sure that
the little republic will not be an insur-
mountable obstacle to his Drang mach
Osten,