Evening star., 1938-03-18
War Has Begun
Free Nations Must Take United Action at Once if
Freedom Il to Be Preserved, Says Observer.

conquest will Be attempted in some
other matter, and In either event We
shall either have . successful coup
d'etat on the Austrian model or war
capable Of involving all Europe.
The Csschs are fortified on the bor-
der facing Germany. They are un-
fortified on the border facing Austria.
The Germans already have an army in
Austria. Bratislava. the Czech Aus
trian frontier post. "a one hour and 4
half by motor from Vienna. There are
adequate munitions plants in Austria
to supply such = German army.
France IL Being Surrounded.
It y impossible to believe that Mus
solini has agreed to relinquish all Eu-
rope east Of the Rhine to Hitler, ex-
cept in return for active assistance in
the Mediterranean. The key to the
conquest Of the Mediterranean Il
Spain. An italian army of occupation
IN Spain will be 1T the back Of France
Although France has . Maginot line
against Germany. the frontier on
Spain b unfortined. and submarine
and air bases in Spain and the Ba-
learic Islands can cut France of
from her colonies In North Africa, and
from the manpower and RESOURCES
which they offer her.
II the Italians are successful, France
will be surrounded on three sides by
the Fascist powers and possibly cut of
from acess to North Africa.
This must inevitably mean either
war involving France, and therefore
Great Britain, or q peace dictated
from Berlin and Rome, before q war.
Such 4 peace would mean the end OF
French democracy and the rule of all
Europe by Fascist military collectivism.
This will not happen. Before it hap
pens there will be war.
Weakness Of Foreign Policies.
That things have come to such 4
pass can be attributed directly to the
faltering weakness OF the British,
French and American foreign policies.
In the face Of what has been a clear
menace for the past flve years, we
passed In 1896 Neutrality Act. which
IN Spain. has actually operated to aid
the aggressors. and had it ever been
applied in the Far East would have
operated to aid Japan there. And it
leaves us in 4 thoroughly ambiguous
position vis-a-vis Europe Worse than
that 1t gave notice to the world in 4
most critical moment Of something
intrinsically false and misleading;
namely that the United States would
not act anywhere outside its own bor-
ders to protect its own most vital in
terests.
Largely because Of Americas am
biguous isolationism. Great Britain
adopted an tsolationist policy toward
Europe. exclusive of France and the
low countries. and the result of Brit.
ish isolationism is before our eyes.
The basis Of our policy has been the
widespread belief of our popula ton
that war and anarchy outside of the
United States would not be disastrous
for us.
But the continuation and accelera-
ton Of the present condition of an
archy will destroy the American econ
omy and bankrupt all free govern
ments.
Capital Flock 70 New York.
Ever since the invasion of Austria. q
few days ago, panic-stricken capital
from all the countries of the world
has been flowing into New York,
Share and commodity narksfs all
over the world are fluctuating in the
widest manner. The normal course
OF business is choked and obstructed.
One day country exists and the next
day 1t disappears. Contracts have
been made in its currency and that
currency suddenly no longer exists.
Nowhere on earth can men make con-
tracts involving international trade
with the certainty that they will be