Evening star., 1938-03-06
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN,

T YNDER the impact of Hitler's fist.
Anthony Eden was knocked out Of
his seat in the foreign ONCE, and
Neville Chamberlain's realities"
will probably keep him out.
Not what the Prime Minister told the
British people in his speech In the House
Of Commons, but what he whispered to
his most determined opponents carried the
day. He reported that Germany and Italy
were fully prepared for war and would not
postpone it much longer: that the dictators
realized that within the next few months
both France and Great Britain would be
better equipped to meet their challenge
and neither Mussolini nor Hitler was will
ing to take that chance. He told those who
disseminate news in the United Kingdom
that Britain was not ready for a major
emergency and that the French plans for
opposing the dictators had collapsed.
The Little Entente existed but in name.
The Yugoslav government had not minced
words in assuring the French and the
British that while it would not lend its
armed forces to Germany and Italy, Yugo-
neutral attitude in the next conflict and
would continue to do business with Ger
many and Italy.
Carols Assurances Discounted.
Though King Carol has tried to lull the
French into the belief that Rumania will
remain faithful to her old alliances, the
British Minister at Bucharest has warned
his government not to take too much stock
in Carols assurances. Rumania is con-
forming to the Nazi pattern and neither its
ruler nor the rank and file of the popula-
ton are prepared to enter conflict to
save the Western democracies
Russia is in lamentable shape Stain is
running the work Of his collaborators. The
army and the air force in particular are
being crippled by mass executions. In the
month OF January, reports from Moscow
reveal no less than 457 aviators faced the
firing squad. Not 10 per cent of the high
ranking officers are at their posts; they
have either been executed or put under
arrest-which amounts to the same thing.
True, Litvinof and few others still think
in terms Of cooperation with France in
opposing Germany, but Stain is worried
only about his own skin, and none Of his
collaborators dare protest against these
wholesale massacres. Neither the British
nor the French representatives have access
to the Red dictator. They communicate
the observations Of their governments to
the foreign office and there they are buried
As defensive organization the Red army
may still be Of some value; as an ally to
harass eventual enemies its value is nil
France, Mr.. Chamberlain told the opposi-
ton which attacked him for scuttling, had
better busy herself with keeping the home
fires burning. She is no longer in a posi-
ton, he said, to oppose by force the progress
of Italy and Germany In the East and in
the South.
The city tycoons are realists. and the
British premier agrees that sentimentalism
in politics is misplaced.
Chamberlain Acts Quickly.
When Lord Halifax, his trusted informer
on foreign affairs. reported that Hitler
meant business, and Dino Grandi, with that
candor which made him the favorite Of
OoWAAA6 oCiCCG, COlO lllAIl IAldG MuSSOlllA
could wait no longer. Mr.. Chamberlain did
not hesitate. The United States had un-
mistakably shown that Europe's affairs
were her own and that even in the Far
East it could adopt only parallel policy
the meaning Of which had to be defined
at later date. Since the two dictators
could not be curbed, 1t was preferable to
come to terms with them and eventually
do some remunerative business; they were
both in need of cash.
There are still many diplomats -espe-
cially Americans-who say that Italy i'm
plored Great Britain to extend q friendly
hand to enable her to face the Hitler mem
ace. There are still a number of officials
in the State Department who believe that
Mussolini looks askance at Hitler's pene-
tration in Austria and that he plans to
drop Der Fuehrer as soon as he secures
Britain's support and friendship. These
are the same individuals who have re-
peated year after year that under the
colossal financial and economic burden of
their vast rearmament programs Germany
and Italy would collapse; they have been
advising President Roosevelt that this COL
lapse is inevitable. But Mr.. Roosevelt
himself no longer appears to credit this
theory. A few weeks ago when this was
repeated to him with Statistical assur-
ance, there is q story to the effect that
he replied: II have heard that fairy tale
far too many years now to believe in it any
longer" Nor does the President believe
in the reports that the Austrian crisis was
created by q rift between Mussolini and
Hitler and that the Berlin Rome axis now
has fatal flaw.
Though there is no definite proof that
the British government discussed the mat
ter of surrender" with the White House
or the State Department, there is little
doubt that our high officials knew some
thing about it. While they are deprecating
this blow to democracy, they admit that
the eventual settlement of the British
Italian-German differences has removed
the immediate danger Of q European war
and may lead to some concrete steps toward
limitation Of armaments and economic re-
adjustments along these lines: Q) The
recognition Of the conquest Of Ethiopia;
ca the withdrawal Of the Italian volunteers
from Spain, and (3) settlement regard
ing the naval forces to be maintained in
the Mediterranean by Great Britain and
Italy.
Duce Expects Franco Victory.