Evening star., 1938-09-01
PARIS ANDL0ND0N
! ARE PESS|M|ST|C
KeaI Danger of Conflict Is
Seen in Next Few Weeks
or Months.
Nv PERTJNAX.


PARIS. Sept. l (N.AN.A).-Com-
petent quarters in Paris and London
are rather pessimistic over the recent
turn taken by Czechoslovak affairs.
They do not despair of safeguarding
the peace of Europe. but nevertheless
feel there is real danger of interna-
tional conflict breaking out in the
forthcoming weeks or months and are
apprehensive lest the congress OF the
National Socialist party at Nuremberg
next week bring about an aggravation
Of the crisis.
Views taken of the entire situation
By the most trustworthy observers can
be summarized as follows:
First, Lord Runciman's mediation Is
not likely to lead to any concrete solu-
ton He had set himself to his task
In the belief that a compromise could
be reached provided a spirit of give
and take should exist on both sides.
}, But no spirit of give and take can
be detected in Konrad Henlein and
his followers. They insist that the
Sudeten Germans must be constituted
as a separate nation within the frame
work of Czechoslovakia and that the
German nation must be put on a
footing Of equality with the Czechs.
Naturalization Implied.
The implication of that program
(Which has not been fully diSclosed)
is that Czechoslovakia should be dis
armed and neutralized which would
place her at the mercy Of Greater Ger
many. Alternatively, they would ask
for the holding of a plebiscite which
could not but entail breakup of the
central government.
OF course, things would go differently
If Lord Runciman could succeed in
driving wedge between Henleins
Sudeten Germans and Hitlerian Ger
many. Then the leaders of the
Sudeten Germans would probably be
satisfied with the concessions Presi-
dent Benes and Premier Hodza are
ready to grant them.
Lord Runciman. when he met
Henlein. did not fail to remind him
that in London last April he told
several British statesmen, including
Winston Churchill. that the demands
Of the Sudeten Germans would en-
croach neither upon the sovereignty of
Czechoslovakia nor upon her freedom
of movement concerning foreign
politics. But it is realized now that
Henleins attitude of four months ago
was merely tactical Lord Runciman
now has opened his eyes to the hard
realities The Hitlerian government
will do everything in its power to pre-
vent an agreement from being arrived
at, and the odds are that Hitler will
keep in hand the leaders of the
Sudeten Germans.
Mobilization in Maneuvers.
Second, the military preparations
begun last May following upon the
former crisis, and which under Hitler's
imperative orders are being brought
to completion at a feverish tempo, do
really partake OF the nature of an
extensive mobilization There is no
use to recall details which have be-
come widely known, but it can be
indicated that instructions are being
circulated in every branch of the civil
administration which are intelligible
only on the worst assumption 1t is
even rumored that substitution OF
extensive radio service for daily news
papers has been contemplated in case
of war and that is the true reason for
the massed production of cheap re-
ceiving sets at 35 marks apiece to be
paid by installments.
AS to the diplomatic preparations,
they have perhaps not been sufficiently
noticed We had been told about the
steps taken in Moscow, Bucharest and
Belgrade with the view of convincing
the Russian, Rumanian and Yugoslav
governments that Germany ought not
be treated as an aggressor If she in
tervenes to free the Sudeten Germans
from their present rulers. But it is
sdrmised that in other capitals, where
Germany could expect to be listened to
more favorably, analogous demarches
have been made, particularly in War
kaw
In that connection, it is said by some
that Regent Horthy's journey to Kiel
may be compared to Chancellor
Schuschnigg's journey to Berchtes-
gaden last February. Even Gen. Vuil-
lenlin. commander in chief of the
French air forces, who fortnight ago
paid a visit to Berlin Ito return the
call of Gen. Mich to the French cap
ital last year, was given the oppor-
tunity to judge from the words ad-
dressed to him by Field Marshal
Goering that every effort was being
made to intimidate the French gov
eminent through him.
& New Peace Offer Expected.
Next week at Nuremberg, as re-
CARDS France. if some reports are to
be trusted, Hitler will play his usual
trick. He will make a new offer of
peace to France, subject to pra ctical
cancellation of Frances alliance with
Czechoslovakia, in hope that public
opinion will be impressed and conse-
quently hamper the French cabinet
In its reactions.
Third, as to France, the opinion ex-
pressed in the highest national So
cialist quarters is that she hardly
counts for anything: that she will
not fight, since she did not even have
the nerve to raise protest against
the German military preparations
which have been in full swing for
three months, and that, anyhow, she
will blndly conform to the attitude
OF the British government and British
people.
The same Nazi leaders are very
distrustful Of the British foreign Of
fee and Lord Halifax, but they are
still sure that in the end Prime Min
lister Chamberlain, and what he calls
his resolute isolationism. will prevail
against them all. Here is probably to
be found the true root of the whole
menace to peace.
Fourth, the German government
ought to know by now that the French
cabinet is taking precautions that are