Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-21
Will August Crisis Fade Out?
Answer Awaited by Europe
Germany Completes Elaborate Fortifcations.
Hitler May 1ntimidate Britain and France,
But 'Czechs Are Girded for Action.
BY Constantine Broom.

"WENTY-ONE shock divisions are
concentrated along the River Elbe
in that picturesque section Of Sax
ony called die Sachsische Schweitz
(the Saxon Switzerland) at the time this
article is written.
After months of feverish work the FORTH
cations on the German side of the Rhine
are completed Everything that war genius
has created In Germany during the last
few years has been thrown into an elastic
system of Notifications which are described
by the few who have been able to catch
glimpse Of them as formidable" Behind
the network of pill boxes, trenches, artifi-
cial swamps and electrical wires are the
troops of the second line. Austrian regi-
ments have been strengthened by Wurt-
emburg, Prussian and Bavarian battalions
on to ratio.
On the extended Czechoslovak frontier
and on the French border houses have
been RACED and cultivated fields DESTROYED
to make way for tank traps, underground
concrete, hangers and garages for the
mechanical forces.
Since the middle of June the Vienna
Prague Railway has been under military
control; all freight for commercial houses
has been suspended and long trains are
rolling along the nZ-Passau- Vienna line
day and night bearing Prussian and Bav-
arian troops. These soldiers are being gar
rlSnnpH ha toI will
the Czechoslovak strategic points in the
direction of Bradshaw and Brno Peasants
and the unemployed from Vienna have
been drafted into special labor camps work.,
ing on makeshift trenches and barbed wire
fences on thesformer Austro- Czechoslovak
border.
Cadets of the eleven air-training centers,
who should not have been commissioned
until November, were given their wings"
at the end of July.
Goes on Spending Spree.
German purchasing agents have been on
spending spree since last May. When
Austria was annexed, Herr Schacht found
in the treasury $3.50 ,ooo, 900 of French and
British gold and foreign currency. loaned
to the former Austrian government Ito help
maintain its independence" The entire
amount has been expended for the pur-
chase of raw materials and armament pro-
duction. Every raw material producing
country, including the United States. has
had share of that treasure These pur-
chases. carefully laid aside for a rainy
day" have, according to experts, increased
the Reich's potential capacity of resistance
by minimum Of nine months.
Practically all intercourse between Ger
many and her neighbors, with the exception
Of Poland, has been severed. The Rhine
land with its many health and climatic
resorts, which proved a gold mine to the
German treasury for foreign exchange, has
now been organized into restricted areas.
The mobilization of 100000 reservists to
be added to the 100000 regulars on active
duty scared away tourists, who remember
the days of August. 1914, and with them
disappeared the millions of dollars they
were spending in Germany during the
tourist" months.
This is the picture of Europe in August,
1888. Are the Germans blowing their
meager gold reserves and Gripping their
trade merely to put on a show to intimidate
the Czechoslovaks and their allies: to
frighten the British into forcing Czecho-
slovakia to accept the Reich's terms? Or is
Hitler determined this time to draw his
sword and secure by force what he has not
been able to achieve by diplomacy?
Der Fuehrer may be able to intimidate
the French and the British. But 1t Is
doubtful that he will succeed in cowing the
Czechs. The Prague government is playing
polite host to Lord Runciman and is sin
cerely hopeful that his mission may prove
fruitful but it is determined to defend its
independence even at the price of general
European conflagration. According to re-
ports the State Department has received
from Berlin and Prague the Czechs care
little what will happen to the world if the
democratic powers play them false and
sacrifice Czech independence for an illusory
world peace
Czech Army Prepared.
LIE NZeCLOSiOEdK army is 1uly pre-
pared for action. The nervousness which
existed in May during the first German
scare has disappeared. The Skoda arma-
ment factories have been working day and
night. In May the Czechoslovaks possessed
some $50 fighting planes Three hundred
more have been added since that time.
Some were manufactured in that country,
while heavy bombers of the latest Russian
type were sent from the u S. S. R. few,
mostly prototypes, were purchased in the
U. S. A. before an eventual embargo based
on the neutrality act could be clamped
on Czechoslovakia.
Army engineers and civilians have thrown
line OF temporary fertilization along the
hitherto neutral" Austrian Czech border.
Supplies in large quantities have been pur-
chased abroad and. as in the case of Ger
many. have been stored away for rainy
day. While Benes places little faith in the
Daladier-Bonnet promises, he has been
treasured by the encouraging words re-
ceived conf1dentially from the French gen.
eral staff: Take care OF yourself for a few
weeks; put up a good show against the
German colossus for while, and the
French and British governments will be
forced by public opinion to rush to your
assistance" This advice will be followed
to the letter.
Tn paris thu ,;c;% - &Ln r,.xt.l