Evening star., 1939-08-20

Europe has entered the nrSt pnaSe Oh
its long expected August crisis.
Germany is moving huge armies into
their strategic positions; trenches are
being built all over Europe; military
preparations are being fastened with
feverish activity. The inspired press dis
cusses how many hundreds of thousands
of civilians would be killed in the first
air attack Poland is being threatened
with complete destruction if she main
tains an adamant attitude toward Dan
zig The frail nerves of the European
people are undergoing greater test
than even during the last war.
The British, who since the invasion
of the Normans have never had an en-
emy on their territory, are probably the
most jittery of all. The Italians, despite
reassuring promises that the Germans
would stand by in the event of crisis,
come next; while the French and Poles,
used to wars and invasions, are consid-
ering the situation with resignation but
little fear.
Hitler Policy Aimed at Britain.
The Germans are so convinced of the
wisdom and the power of the Fuehrer
that they don't conceive that something
may also happen to them.
The whole policy of Hitler in the war
of nerves is directed at the British. He
feels confident that if the London gov
ernment is hestant about keeping its
pledges to Poland, the French won't
bulge until Britain turns the green light,
and by the time the British make up
Danzig might fall like ripe plum into
the lap of the Reich.
Hitler appears to appreciate the po-
sition of the Poles. He, like everybody
else in Europe, believes that the Poles,
whether Britain will assist them or not,
are determined to fight for what they
now consider to be the independence of
their country. Hitler is not anxious,
however, to provoke a European war.
Hence he has been staying his hand in
regard to Danzig until he is convinced
that the nerves of the British are in such
state that they will be glad to give
further conciliatory advice to Warsaw
Young Baron Won Ribbentrop, the chan
cellor's foreign minister, is convinced
land his conviction seems to be con-
taminating the entire German govern
menU that the British will not move
until it is too late; that a coup against
Danzig, and even war for the de-
struction of Poland. can be waged by the
Reich without risking Britains imme-
6iato int And he rif
ish people do decide to intervene it will
be too late because, according to the es-
Inmates of the German Army, the Poles
will not be able to resist more than three
or four months at the most
War or Peace Up to Hitler.
The question of war or peace these
days depends almost entirely on the de-
cision of one man-Chancellor Hitler.
The moderating advice of some of his
advisers now is being upset by Ribben-
trops bellicose attitude. The German
secretary of state hungers for glory for
his master and for himself. In his ar
guments that Britain will not move, he
brings out two factors which cannot but
impress Herr Hitler: First, Britain even
today is making desperate efforts to buy
Germany off, as was shown when DR..
Helmuth Wohlthat went to London and
was offered a substantial loan in raw
materials, and, second, Britain, despite
the attempt on the part of Washington
to inject some steel into her backbone,
refused to cooperate with the United
States Government and abrogate her
own commercial treaty with Japan as
Germany expected her to do soon after
the notice of abrogation was sent out
from Washington to Toxic. Further
more after short delay in the con-
versations between Toxic and London
over the Tentsin incidents, a delay
caused by the surprise move of the State
Department, these talks have been re-
sumed. These two factors are described
to Hitler by Ribbentrop to show conclu-
sively that the British government will
do everything that is ih its power to
avoid engaging the nation in war.
But despite these strong arguments of
Germany's secretary of state for do
1t now policy, it appears that the Fueh-
rer still wants to delay the solution to
the Danzig problem until the nerves of
the British and their associates are
thoroughly undermined. This view is
shared by Mussolini who, as the zero
hour approaches begins to have certain
doubts about the final outcome of an
other European conf1agration. This must
not be interpreted to mean that II Duce
wants to break away from the axis. He
is determined to throw in his lot with
that of Germany regardless of what the
results may be. But he too believes the
white war might bring results-even
though they may be slower-rather than
IN plunging blindly into general war
In the meantime the Reich has
rounded up it's strategic position in re-
gard to Poland. Before the final coup
against Danzig could be made without
risk of defeat it was necessary to brine
definitely into line two of Polands neigh
bors-Slovakia ana Hungary. The for
mer had been Germany's vassal since
March IS, when the rump of Czecho.
Slovakia was further carved. slovakia