Evening star., 1939-07-16
Europe's Armies Grid for War
AS Diplomats Talk for Peace
Britain Pins Hopes on Appeasing Dictators at
Conference Table, but Axis Replies With
Doubts About Promises
By Constantine BrO,vn.

prepared to adopt an unaggressive policy,
both states would see that the two auto
cratic powers had free access to all the
| foodstuffs and raw materials to which
they are entitled because of their large
| populations and growing industries. The
British Ambassador at Berlin informed
| the German foreign secretaries that the
London and Paris governments would
be willing to accept any form of guar
antees the two dictators considered nee
essary. And should the Germans and
Italians agree to these informal yet none
the less definite suggestions of the British
| government, Great Britain will not hesi-
tate to discuss in a most friendly spirit"
the question of the return of some of the
crown colonies which were taken away
from the Reich after the World War In
| regard to those German possessions
which are now annexed to the dominions,
the situation is somewhat more compli-
| Gated, since London has not the power
| to force dcminionS, such as South Africa,
| to return territories which they now con-
| slider their own.
In summation, on the brink of much
| feared crisis, Britain offers to the Ger
mans the return of Danzig, provided it
| does not become an instrument to stran-
| gle Poland: free hand in Eastern Eu-
rope-which the axis already possesses;
discussion of the Italian claims and a
limited return of colonies. Over and
above that. the British Premier, a busi-
nessman first and last-offers complete
economic equality to the Reich and
Italy, with special zone of influence in
Eastern Europe. This zone of influence,
1t IS tacitly agreed, might lead Germany
toward the Ukraine and possibly the Cau-
casus, with Western Europes blessings
and best wishes. The British are dissat-
lsfled with Stains attitude regarding the
| stop the-axis movement. The suggestion
made to Hitler last December that Ger
many's expansion must be directed east
ward has been revived once more.
Want "Snatchings" Abandoned.
In exchange for these advantages, all
the totahtarlan states are required to
90 is to abandon their Il take what I
want policy; agree to an immediate lin
ltatlon OF armaments and guarantee that
there Will be no more cradle snatchings
mat there Will be no repetitions of Aus
trla, Czecho-Slovakia and Albania. and
that the frontiers of the remaining in
dependent states in Eastern Europe will
be fully guaranteed by the powers of the
axis.
Neither Hitler nor Mussolini has
given any indication at the time this
article is written of his reactions To
Brltalns pressing suggestions that peace
must be maintained on the basis of these
informal proposals. They are pondering
the pros and cons and maintain that
the French and British cannot be trusted
Der Fuehrer and II Duce do not doubt
the sincerity of purpose of the British
Premier and his foreign secretary. But
IN "democratlc' states governments come
ana 60 and Berlin especially wonders
what would happen to all these promises
II some Churchill Eden combination
came into office in England. Hitler Won
ders whether the Jewish question
which has been relegated to second place
because OF more pressing world crisis
would not crop up anew and whether the
powers which have worked against Ger
manys economic rehabilitation would not
start all over again within short period
after compromise had been reached,
While there has been no definite re-
action from Berlin to Sir Neville Hen
derson's suggestion, the British Premier
believes that there is still q crack in
the door which, if properly exploited,
might lead to something unexpected and
constructive. Certainly solution of the
problems of Europe as devised by Mr..
Chamberlain now would be welcomed by
Britain.
The British and the French military
staffs do not believe that the tardy offer
for peaceful settlement of Europe's
problems can be accepted by the dicta-
tors. They believe that the military
preparations have gone so far that some
sort of military display is essential for
the axis To pacify these military ad-
visers the British Premier has agreed
to the air and naval demonstrations to
show that Britain has made greater
strides in preparing herself for any emer-
gency than the dictators had anticipated.
The reports of the British-G German
conversations seem pessimestic as to the
ultimate outcome of this last attempt of
the British Premier to prevent another
European blood bath. They indicate that
surprise move-not on Danzig this
time-might be expected in Eastern Eu-
rope in the course of the next few weeks.
While the diplomats are whispering
sweet nothings to each other, the SOL
diers are marching to take their COM
bat positions. Not even in the days pre-
ceding the World War were such huge
quantities of war materiel gathered on
several spots as are being gathered now.
And the realistic military shake their
heads and wonder whether diplomacy,
which has been such an utter failure
for the last 20 years, will be capable Of
success at the eleventh hour.