Evening star., 1938-10-23
Arms Conference Pushed Aside
As Nations Speed Up Defenses
Washington, Paris and London Officials Believe
Dictators Are Unsuitable and Duce
Still Must Be Paid.
By Constantine Broom,

Can the old-fashioned democracies live
In harmony with the totalitarian states?
This Is the foremost problem worrying the
heads Of the democratic governments at
the present time.
Rejoicing over the Munich peace is past
The relief brought by the pact which
avoided murderous war for the time being
Is giving way to an anxious question:
What next? How sincere were Hitler and
Mussolini when they signed the four-powe
pact? Do they intend to live up to the
spirit which prompted that agreement?
And, If they do. on what terms?
1t is now admitted that Hitler is a
modern Machiavelli. His handling of the
Czechoslovak crisis was mastery. In Eu-
rope and in this country military authori-
ties and diplomats believe that Hitler's
trump card in the event of an international
conf1agration would have been a lightning
surprise attack on his foes with all the
mobile might of Germany. His one and
only chance for victory, these experts said,
lay in not giving the British opportunity
to mobilize their fleet or the French their
armies. Yet Hitler did not take advantage
of this situation. He gave the British and
the French all the time they wanted to
get their forces ready for attack. He pre-
sented a seven-day ultimatum. though the
French and the British needed no more
thah five days to mobilize But in these
seven days the democratic governments
rushed preparations to protect their civilian
populations. The Bois de Bouogne in Paris
and Hyde Park in London were transformed
into labyrinth of dugouts to shelter cl-
villains against air attacks. People were
ordered out Of their homes: theaters sus-
pended performances: lights were dimmed,
and anti-aircraft batteries placed in Paris
and London. These preparations made
the populations of both countries realize
what another war would mean more force
fully than all the articles and speeches de-
livered during the past ten years. 1t was
stark reality and not theory. And this was
one of the compelling reasons which
brought the people TO the support of the
Munich agreement.
Roosevelt Plan Pushed Aside.
After such tension, it was inevitable
that the most lnveterate pessimist should
join the chorus OF the optimists and say:
For the first time since the last confla-
grafton, the world is actually ripe for a
lasting peace. The monstrous Versailles
treaty is dead. The Munich pact has done
away with its major injustices A sover-
eign nation has been sacrificed for the
good OF the world and by implication its
own good. The world is ready for general
military and economic disarmament. When
there are no longer victors and defeated
all can get together and solve the prob
lens which have made this earth of ours
a mighty unpleasant place to live in
But the developments since the Munich
parley have been Disappointing President
RooseVelts urgent suggestion that a con-
terence for limitation of arms and economic
rehabilitation be called was politely pushed
aside. This is not the moment, declared
the forgers of the worlds restlessness, to
talk of such things. We must dispose first
OF the Spanish question, the matter of
colonies-British and French, and possibly
the Far Eastern war-before we can COM
fortably sit around the green conference
table and discuss such momentous aues-
tions. Seemingly. the psychological mo-
ment for calling such conference was
Immediately after the terrific war scare.
AS days go by. new difficulties and old
hatreds and suspicious come once more to
the fore
The aftermath of Munich was not even
an indication that the world has had
enough of armament races On the con-
trary, the day after Chamberlain was hailed
as the angel of peace Great Britain an
nounced that she would proceed to build a
bigger and better army, air force and
navy. France indicated that she might
erect second and possibly third Maginot
Line OF fortifications. Germany suggested
a limitation of air forces on three-to-one
ratio IN her favor. Mussolini mentioned
something about the old dry powder. And
we in the United States announced that
our national defenses will be STRENGTHENED
not by words and official reports, but by
actual immediate work.
Dictators Are Unsuitable.
The feeling in Washington, Paris and
London official circles is that the dictators
are Unsuitable and will not be satisfied with
present gains The optimistic forecast of
three weeks ago that limitation of arms
conference, linked with an economic con-
ference, would be held in the early spring
of 1910 is fading away.
The result Of the Munich pact was an
unprecedented rise in the prestige of the
totalitarian states in Central and Eastern
Europe at the expense of the democracies.
Hardly was the ink dry than the govern
ments OF Poland, Rumania, Yugoslavia,
Turkey and Greece sent special missions to
Berlin or received German representatives
with view to strengthening further their
economic bonds with the Reich.
France, according to the controlled press
of the Danubian and Black Sea countries
Is decadent nation with glorious past
but no future. The Germans in Alsace-
Lorraine are getting restless. They look
to Hitler as their protector. The Germans
in the Yugoslavia banat-hard working,
law abiding and prosperous farmers-are
swastikas and proudly announcing
their national origin. The 100000 Saxons
in Rumania are doing the same. There is
little likelihood that Hitler will claim these
people. 1t Is not possible geographically
to make them an integral part of the uni
fled Reich, but the governments which have
these minorities under their Jurisdiction
are careful not tn offend rer rh,ohrer ,v,