Evening star., 1939-03-26
World Seen Entering Final Stage
OF Showdown on Peace or War
Spring of 1889 Expected to Be the Most Momentous
in Modern History, With Italy Bringing
on Main Crisis
By Constantine BrOwn,

Dy l. OnSIUf
The world has entered into the last
phase of the inevitable showdown which
brings the totalitarian states and the
British and French Empires face to face
Confronted with an aggressive policy,
the import of which had not been sus-
pected by the septuagenarian British
Premier, Mr.. Chamberlain last Friday
decided to throw onto the junk heap his
appeasement- -at-any price policy The
decision to call the hand of the dictators
was reached after serious consultations
between London, Paris and Washington.
The British Premier played the main
motif in his Birmingham speech He
gave up believing in the better side of
human nature" as far as Hitler was con-
cerned. For the first time since he be-
came Britain's number one man, he
dealt in dire realities Mr.. Chamberlain
did not make his speech light
Confronted with revolution within his
cabinet where even the complacent and
obedient Lord Halifax told him that
things could not drift along in the same
way without jeopardizing the existence
of the empire; in receipt of urgent ap-
peals from Premier Daladier to do
something" lest France be compelled to
adopt strong policy of her own; and
finally, urged by advices from Washing
ton that it was time to put up stiff
front. the British Premier threw his
gauntlet at Herr Hitler. At the same
time, in accordance with prearranged
agreements Daladier obtained dictatorial
powers to prepare France without delay
for possible long war and Acting Sec
retary OF State Summer Welles, with Mr..
Roosevelt's blessing, issued strong press
statement once more lambasting the die
tators in general and the Reichsfuehrer
In particular. Col. Vladimir Hurban,
-Slovakia's Minister at Washing
ton, after a long talk with the Acting
Secretary Of State, issued a statement
refusing to recognize the partition of
Czecho-Slovakia. Mr.. Welles' press state
ment referred, two hours later, to the
Temporary" disappearance of that Gen.
trail European democracy.
Spring to Be Momentous.
The principal proponents of the Mu-
Mich policy have come to realize that to
the dictators the meaning of the word
"appeasement" is completely different
from their own. 1t does not mean peace,
but continually feeding the Unsuitable
appetite of Hitler and Mussolini and the
Japanese military clique THE brute
must ho foH y I
has remarkable capacity for swallow
Ing doves Of peace" was the expression
of one of the interested ambassadors in
Washington.
when Hitler assured me that there
would be no war because of the colo
nies," Mr.. Chamberlain is reported to
have said to the United States Ambas-
sador at London, Il thought he meant
that we shall dispose of that question
by friendly negotiations. Now it appears
that he meant we would yield to all his
demands"
The spring of 1899, as has been re-
peatedly forecast in this column, will be
the most momentous in modern history
Hitler has gobbled up the remains of
the Czecho-Slovak republic. His action
has been surprise to everybody, includ-
ing some of his most intimate collabo-
rators, because 1t contravened the prin-
ciples exposed in "Mein Kampf" and his
repeated declarations that the German
Reich does not want any minorities
within its territory.
Though Rumania has decided to sign
q commercial agreement with Germany,
there Is certain to be active resistance
to any attempt of Der Fuehrer to carve
her up as he did Czecho-Slovakia.
Main Crisis Due Shortly.
There will be a period Of acute strain
In the Danubian basin, but expert
opinion declares that the main crisis will
occur shortly because of italian demands
for colonial possessions in Africa. The
note which Mussolini Is going to send to
- the British and the French governments
for territorial readjustments" is already
drafted. It has been withheld because
Hitler still has something to do" in
Central Europe and Franco has not yet
started his offensive against Madrid.
The time is now ripe for Mussolini to
step into the imelight. For the last IL
months II Duce has been playing second
nddle to Hitler. While Germany in
creased her population and territory 20
per cent, Italy has been sacrificing
money and men in Spain for the totali-
tartan cause.
The apparent consolidation of the
Britain-France-U. S. A, front and the
1unking of the appeasement policy of Mr..
Chamberlain is believed likely to act as
an incentive to the two European dicta-
tors. They know that this reversal of Mr.
Chamberlain's policy was caused by fear
rather than determination to put an end
to the ever-increasing demands of the
totahtarian leaders. Regardless of how
many billions of dollars may be voted nv
the British and French Parliaments
their armament, especially in the air and
mechanized forces, is still far behinJ
those Of Germany and Italy. For the last
two years France and Great Britain