Evening star., 1938-08-19
H|TLER'S WARL|KE
MOVE DISCOUNTED
Reports to U. S. Officials
Claim Sept. Is Will Be
Harmless Der Tag
By HI. r.. BAUKHAGE.

"Der Tag" has been ofi1cially post
poned by Germany until September
IS. Reports to this effect, just re-
ceived in Washington from Europe,
have been confirmed on highest au-
thority. The facts, as reported in
detail, quite alter the popular impress
sion of the significance Of "the day"
In the first place. the first real
concentration of Germany's major
military forces now scheduled to take
place on September Is, will be not
on the Czechoslovak border but in
East Prussia.
In the second place, instead OF be-
ing shrouded in secrecy, as the recent
military activities in the Reich are
said to have been, all foreign mill
tary attaches, including those Of the
United States, will be invited to at
tend.
Reservists Not Modified.
In addition to revealing plans for
the real Tag" these confidential re-
ports from Europe bring out signifl-
cant fact about the present situation
which NEST of the jittery observers
have failed to emphasize thus far.
It is that the 100000 German re-
servists, lust called to the colors. are
not concentrated at any one strategic
point. Experts on this side declare
that. as far as the reservists go, their
call to the colors can hardly be called
mobilization. There is no gen.
eral concentration of them In the
immediate vicinity Of the Czechoslo-
wax border.
Moreover, these experts say, there
has been no attempt to integrate the
reservists into the Reich's regular
army. This would be necessary II
war conditions were to prevail.
Unlike other armies. the German
regular standing forces in peace time
are a unit in themselves. and as such
have been on war basis" for several
months. In other countries, war
basis" means absorption of the re-
serves into the "peace-time" army.
Germany, of course, in addition to
the men under arms an dthe reserves
who have had regular training, has
her storm troopers, group created
with plenty of enthusiasm, II not as
much military training as 1t takes to
make soldier
Danger Phase Discounted.
While August IS was accepted by
many persons both here and abroad
as the original danger day, the mill
tary experts here discounted the
rumors, They were cognizant OF the
~
centration in the vicinity OF what
might be called the hot spots, and,
further, that the reserves are not
functioning as part OF the regular
forces.
Why East Prussia has been chosen
for the concentration point on Septem-
ber IS is not explained.
However, there is nothing to indicate
that the September Is show is to be
anything more than the regular army
game" an impressive demonstration
of German military prowess for the
purpose of impressing onlookers, both
foreign and native, as well as an
opportunity for providing the usual
training such as all armies consider
necessary.
Observers here, other than military.
interpreting the latest confidential
reports which have come from Europe,
venture the guess that Hitler already
has had sufficient assurance from the
British that he will be given at least
q face-sauing solution of the Sudeten
question in CzechoSlovakia, and he
will have the opportunity of telling his
people that it was the brilliant display
of the potential "furor Teutonicus"
that turned the trick and got Germany
what she wanted.
But, so far. expert examination of
events leading toward the new "tag"
prompts the prediction that the
day will be peaceful one.
tCopyrisht 1888, by the North American
Newspaper AllianceD