Evening star., 1938-09-04
Diplomats Fear Nazi Conclave
This Week Will Be Dangerous
Cards Stacked Against Czechs, With Nation Having
No Common Frontier With France Russia
and Britain, Her Allies
Bv Constantine Br0wn.

THE tempo of the European crisis
has been quickened with dramatic
audiences. There is feeling in
diplomatic quarters that the Nazi
conclave which will open In Nuremberg
this week is going to be a dangerous
"Parteitag"
Most of the British home fleet has been
ordered to Scotland, where it had been
concentrated during the World War, as
warning to Hitler. Sir John Simon, speak
ing in the name Of the British government
reminded Berlin once more that while
Great Britain was most anxious to avoid
war 1t could not look on the disturbance
OF peace in Central Europe without grave
misgivings which eventually might be trans
lated into actual participation in a general
confiagration.
Furthermore the British cabinet meet
ing last Tuesday decided to warn Hitler
that Great Britain will be compelled to
stand behind France should the latter be
forced to meet her treaty obligations to-
ward Czechoslovakia. Sir Neville Hender-
son, Britain's ambassador to Germany, who
oClChOCu tAlC HlCCtlllS dC ~ AOWiliIS ollCCt
carried the warning message to Berlin.
In France there have been "ominous"
troop movements not on the German
border. which is now fully manned, but on
the Italian and the Spanish frontiers. All
leaves Of absence to officers Of the fighting
forces have been Cancelled and the Med
iterranean feet has been ordered to stand
by
In Washington the situation is con-
sidered grave. The fleet preparedness has
been accelerated.
An Atlantic feet, composed of IA new
vessels. has been formed to take care of any
emergencies in the Western Atlantic, while
the main fleet in the Pacific is ready to put
out to sea on short notice and proceed
wherever its presence may be required.
The maneuvers of the Reichswar have
entered their third phase. Hundreds of
thousands of German soldiers are being
shifted toward the Czechoslovak border.
Quits Playing for Time.
Lord Runciman has ceased playing for
time. He reported last week to London
that unless a drastic warning was given
to Hitler and pressure brought on President
Benes. sudden explosion might occur at
almost any time.
As in past European crises. Uncle Sam
was Britain's pacemaker. While Runciman
was dickering with the representatives of
the Sudeten Germans and with the Prague
government, President Roosevelt in Canada
and Secretary Hull in New York fired a
broadSide at the relationships, reiterating
our stand with respect to international
treaties and obligations and on the settle
ment Of controversies by peaceful methods
Both speeches were intended to mean more
than was specifically indicated.
But few days after the two American
spokesmen issued their concealed warning
Hitler completed the steel ring around
Czechoslovakia by bringing Hungary into
the German orbit.
At meeting at Bled the summer resi-
dence Of the Yugoslav royal family. the
little entente powers gave their blessings TO
Hungary's rearmament A mere formality
Hungary has been rearming since the sum-
mer OF 1896, when it received delegation
OF so German general staff officers who as
sisted in drafting sweeping reorganization
program for the Magyar Army. When Aus
tria was annexed last March, Hitler or
dered the entire Austrian war material
handed over to Hungary. The Austrians.
like the Hungarian Army, had been equip
ped with Italian ammunition. The Aus
trian troops, which were incorporated into
the German Army, were provided with Ger
man ordnance for the sake of uniformity
of equipment.
Aggression Pact.
Huneary's regent, Admiral Nicholas
Horthy, was received with royal honors
during his recent visit to Berlin He agreed tc
join the Rome-Berlin axis and swap hams
and wheat for guns and airplanes; agreed
to forego Hungarys claims for treaty re-
vision regarding the territories lost after
the war to Rumania and Yugoslavia, and
to enter into a non-aggression pact indi-
vidually with the three members of the
Little Entente. But there were definite
hints at Bled from the Hungarian repre-
sentatives that the Budapest government
considers the question Of the 900 900 Mag
yars who live under the Czechoslovak flag
as important and requiring an immediate
solution before any non-aggression agree
ment can be negotiated with the Prague
government
These developments, together with indi-
cations from Berlin that the Reich govern
ment was losing patience with the dilatory
methods of President Benes and that a
showdown might be expected soon, have
thrown London and Paris into confusion
1t appears to the leaders of Frances and
Britains destinies that the peace at any
price, policy Of Premier Chamberlain is
not likely to succeed unless bolstered by
aggresSiveness, even If only in speeches