Evening star., 1939-07-01
BY WALLACE r. DEUEL.,

BERLIN. July 1.-The die is cast.
Reichsfuehrer Adolf Hitler has. de-
termined to bring Danzig back to
the Reich before the first snow flies
along the Vistula. The real" cam
paign to bring this about is due to
begin at some time during the next
three weeks. The Nazis think that
they will have won the final victory
no later than October /.
The signal for the opening of the
real campaign" will be q visit by
Hitler to Danzig, it is now intended.
The chancellor has already crossed
his Rubicon-the Vistula-flgura-
lively by taking the fateful decision
he has taken. He will probably
cross it literally by going to Danzig
some time between now and July ~.
Danzig Opening Wedge.
Whether he tries to solve" the
whole Polish problem" at the same
time depends upon circumstances.
For the time being, at least, how
ever, he seems to be concentrating
on Danzig itself.
Sooner or later. though, the rest
Of the problem" will be dealth with,
too. An attempt will be made to re-
cover the whole Corridor. Eastern
and Upper Silesia and the Olsa ter
ritory, as we'll as Danzig. The
Free City" is only the opening
wedge. just as the acquisition of the
Sudeten territory was the opening
wedge in the drive against Czecho-
Slovakia last year.
One of the plans for dealing with
the Polish problem" which has been
under consideration here for some
time was based on the belief that if
Germany acquired Danzig-even if
it refrained thereafter for some time
from going further-there would be
such a violent political convulsion in
Warsaw that the task of solving"
the rest of the problem" would be
much easier. Whether this plan
is now to be acted on remains 20
be seen.
Vague on Polish Independence.
What kind of solution Of the
Polish problem would now be &C.
ceptable to Germany?" a well-in-
formed and responsible Nazi was re-
Gently asked.
"One which satisfied Germany's
legitimate aspirations but at the
same time left an independent Po-
land" was the reply.
The further questions which fol-
low from this answer were, however,
left hanging in the air. If Germany
were deciding matters, how big would
the independent Poland" of this
reply be? And how independent
would it be? There was supposed to
be an independent Czecho-Slovakia
after the amputations of last Octo-
ber, too.
The general idea is to heighten
the tension by such gradual degrees
that opponents cannot find any sin
gle act of German policy or a single
point in the whole development at
which they can take a stand and
fight.
The campaign may work out some
thing like this:
Hitler goes to Danzig. The city
is flooded with disguised S. A.
(Storm Troopers), S. S. elite
Guard, Gestapo (secret police) and
even German troops. Arms are &C
cumulated. The chancellor's visit
causes a terrific outburst of popular
feeling which takes the form Of
demonstrations and possible attacks
on Poles. It might even conceivably
cause such an explosion that the
final, crisis would come at once.
But assuming it does not, Hitler
returns to the Reich. Soon Field
Marshal Hermann Goering goes to
Danzig. Further demonstrations
occur. The tension increases still
more The position Of the Poles
in the Free City becomes still more
difficult.
Perhaps the final" climax comes
at this time. If it does not, Goering
duly returns to the Reich, too. Other
visits by leading Nazis follow.
Meanwhile, the Polish customs,
railway and other administrations
find it increasingly difficult to func-
ton. Passive and in some cases
active resistance increases. There