Evening star., 1938-10-05
Frances Isolation.

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night was receiving an overwhelming
vote Of confidence and full financial
powers to rule France by dictatorial
decree in the Chamber of Deputies
Tor his part in preserving the peace
OF Europe, came graphic evidence
that France is paying promptly and
dearly for the desertion Of her Czecho-
slovak ally. In quarters which Gus
tomarily speak for the Russian govern
.nent it was announced that the Soviet
Union yesterday served notice it no
longer regards itself as an ally of France.
The U. s. 8. RS action is directly
motivated by French failure to meet
the obligations of the republics pact
with Czechoslovakia of which the
Soviet -Czechslovak treaty of mutual as
sistance was a corollary. Denouncing
Frances "capitulation" to the German
aggressor at moment when the Czechs
were under the threat of Fascist ag-
gression," Moscow openly taunts France
not only with her self-invited "isola-
tion," but with the fact that she now
stands alone in Europe, deserted except
by Great Britain, "the ally which did
not hesitate, behind Frances back, to
sign an agreement with the aggressor at
Munich, just as that same Britain, in
1885. without the knowledge of France.
entered into a naval agreement with
Germany" AS a parting shot at the
recent friend of yesterday, the Moscow
mouthpiece calls isolation "the newt
able price France has had to pay for
her faithlessness, which is precisely
Hitler's aim"
Reputation of the Franco-Ru al
lance by the Soviet seemed assured
from the moment Daladier, in the name
OF European peace, agreed with Cham
berlain to the dismemberment of
Czechoslovakia. That assurance became
doubly sure when France arranged with
Britain to deal with Hitler and Mus
solini at Munich on September 20. minus
the presence Of Russia at the confer
ence table. That the Soviet Union,
which had pledged its readiness to
march with the Western powers for the
defense of Czechoslovakia against Ger
man attack, would sooner or later pro-
test the four-power attempt to remake
the map Of Europe without Russian par
ticipation was foregone conclusion.
Stain has now made his remonstrance
In the form designed to make the most
immediate and forceful impression upon
. hard-pressed Paris government.
The plight in which the French in
consequence find themselves is unde-
niably grave. Not only are their alli-
ances with Czechoslovakia and Russia
gone with the wind, but with the reduc-
ton Of the Czechs to helplessness, the
Little Entente, created by France as a
bulwark against both Germany and
italy in Eastern and Southeastern Eu-
rope, collapses. Poland, like Rumania
away from the pre-Munich allegiances
to France and gravitates toward the
Nad orbit.
Whether France, bereft of external
bulwarks and torn asunder by internal
discord, is to be rated in the future as
. hrst-class power is grave question.
France has well-earned reputation for
valiant capacity in surmounting untold
national difficulties. Yet Frenchmen today
must be searching their hearts anxiously
in wonder, first, whether Hitler's pledge"
to seek no more territory lin Europe" does
in fact guarantee that the victory drunk
Nazis will never demand the return of
Alsaoe-Lorraine, and, secondly, how sue
cessfully France, without all of her old
allies, could resist German raid on the
French colonial empire