The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-09-22
THE EUROPEAN TRAGEDY

One of the tragedies of the ages is being
enacted in Europe. If throwing Czechoslo-
vakia to the Nazi wolves, as Maxim Litvi-
nov phrases it, was a guarantee of the fu-
ture peace of Europe there might be slight
justification for the hope that the end
would Justify the means. There is, how
ever. not the slightest basis of hope for this
outcome. The little republic is being de-
livered to the tyranny of the Nazis, to be
prosecuted and ground under the iron heel
of Dictator Hitler. Furthermore, all the
small nations of central Europe, from Ger
many to the Black Sea, are by the so-called
settlement of the Czechoslovak controver-
Sy, being delivered to the same dire fate.
Who believes that Hitler and the Nazis
will be satisfied when they have swal-
lowed the Sudeten area Of Czechoslovakia?
1t is as certain as anything can be that the
whole of the small republics territory will
be gobbled by the dictator IN few weeks
or months; and he will then proceed to &C
tually take over the other small nations of
central Europe or devise such control over
them as will add their limited might to that
of the vast German juggernaught which is
rolling over Europe.
None of these countries-all of them
combined, in fact-would be able to with
stand the onslaught of the Nazis. Hitler s
power will mount from day to day as he
takes over control of these countries. By
the time the Nazi empire is formed into a
solid block from the North Sea to the
Black Sea, through central Europe, Hitler
will be prepared to turn his attention to
Russia, France and England. These coun-
tries will be forced to fight or see their ter
ritory and peoples delivered to Nazi con-
trol. That will bring on the conflict of the
ages. So the Czech settlement is not a guar
antee of the peace of Europe but guaran-
tee of the certainty of war in the future,
with the probable date of that war not far
distant.
Thus we see one of the tragedies of the
ages unfolding before the eyes of the
world.
1t is tragic from the standpoint of the
impending fate of the little European re-
public and the future of its people. 1t is a
tragic development to see England and
France following the example of Germany
twenty years ago and Transforming their
solemn obligations into scraps of paper 1t
is tragic to discover that craftsmanship has
practically disappeared from the ranks Of
the leaders of these countries. But the
sc g hot 10
vakia is sold out to strutting, word-spout-
ing dictator for the price of peace, when
there is no peace and can be no peace
while this beast is loose. in the world.
Another phase of the tragedy is that un-
til now Hitler has been bluffing. He could
have been stopped two years ago. He could
have been stopped at any time until with
in the past few weeks. All that was neces-
sary to stop him was display of undilut-
ed courage on the part of England France
and Russia, some straight-from-the-sho
der talk from these nations to the blither-
ing Nazl lunatiC. But Hitler's series OF
bluffs worked; and as he came out on top
with each one his power increased. until
now he sits astride Europe, having showed
England and France into the position of
second or third rate powers and put the
Nazi empire in first place in that hemis,
phere.
s.. That Hitler will not stop with the seiz-
ing of all the central European territory
indicated as his objective for the time be-
ing, is an absolute certainty. He may turn