Evening star., 1939-04-16
Battle Lines May Form Again
Along 1914 General Pattern
Germanc Dream of Central Europe Empire
Recurs as Nightmare for Virtually
Similar Alliance.
By Joseph II. Baird.
By Joseph II. Baird.

with its long. jagged coast-line, whose
cities are dangerously exposed to naval
bombardment, has good reason, rs in
1914, to fear the superior power of the
British navy. The Rome Berlin axis may
be dominant in the air, but the Anglo
French coalition still maintains q 2-to-l
superiority in naval strength over the
two relationships. Navies, even more
than land or air power, might well be
the deciding factor in a Mediterranean
war.
Now, as in 1914, Great Britain and
France are the nucleus around which
the states of Europe who have reason to
fear the Central powers are grouping
themselves. The old pre-war Triple En-
dead, and although both London and
Paris are attempting to re-create it, Boil
shevik Moscow, always wary of the de
signs of the capitalistic owers"-espe-
cially so since France, which had Joined
Russia in a guarantee .of Czecho-Slo-
vakian sovereignty, failed to keep its
treaty pledge last fall at Munich-seems
reluctant to renew its pre-1914 pledges.
Soviet Might Change Picture.
Indeed, this wariness of Russia Is the
main obstacle to the formation Of a new
group of allies which might over-awe
Berlin and Rome by the sheer weight
of their military and naval power. The
efficiency and morale of the Red Army
are questionable and Russia, as in 1914,
ie hon h1,o ho cy,r,or vi If
communications and supply. Yet, with
the largest standing army in the world
and with a system of industrial produc-
ton more highly developed than in
czarist days, Russia is formidable in its
sheer magnitude.
Moscow-not without some reason
suspects that London and Paris are at
Germany, hoping that the two giants
might wear each other out and leave the
political hegemony of Europe in Anglo
French hands But Hitler's ambition to
dominate the Soviet Ukraine may yet
drive Soviet Russia into the camp of its
former allies.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Chamberlain and
Premier Daladier of France are turning
to the small powers of Europe to build
up their stop the dictators' bloc.
In the World War, the Triple Entente
powers, in addition to the support of
Italy, mad in their camp Serbia-first
victim of the central powers-Rumania,
Belgium, Greece, Portugal. Montenegro
and, eventually, the non-European ma
tiOnS japan and Amerita
Where would these nations stand in q
war today?
Yugoslavia Suspicious.
Serbia and Montenegro, of course, have
disappeared from the map. Yugoslavia,
ruling their former territory, long has
viewed Italy with suspicion and enmity
and probably-unless coerced by the
Fascist bloc before the outbreak of war
would support the Allied cause.
Rumania apparently is prepared to
join the anti-Hitler bloc to save itself
from the fate of Austria and Czecho-Slo-
vakia. Belgium would like to preserve
its neutrality, but if that is impossible
as likely it will be-the Belgians are sure
to be allied with Great Britain and
France. Greece, seemingly menaced by
Italy. probably will join the anti-Fascist
coalition. Portugal has been the tradi-
tional friend of Great Britain. but has
been flirting with the Fascist powers
since the outbreak of the Spanish civil
war more than two years ago. 1t prob
ably would attempt to remain neutral in
any general European war.
Japan, Germany's enemy in the World
War, now is allied loosely through the
anti-comintern pact with Italy and the
Reich. If Russia remained outside q
current European war, Japan might pos
sibly be a neutral. If, however, the
Soviet Union fought with the anti-Fas-
cist bloc, it is virtually certain that Japan
would attack Russia in the Far East, for
the Japanese general staff long has re-
garded war with the Soviets as in
tunity to take advantage OF Moscows
involvement in the west.
American Opinion Clearer.
And what of America?
Recent polls of American public opin-
ion show clearly that there is far less
doubt of where public sympathy here
would lie than there was in 1914. At
the outbreak of the last World War there
was a large pro-German bloc in this
country and a still larger group of
Americans who were sincerely neutral.
Today there is no doubt that an over
whelming majority of the American peo-
pie would, from the start, be ardently
sympathetic with the allied cause.
Nor is there much doubt that the
United States, from the very beginning
of the war, would seek to aid England
and France economically. Beyond that
point, only the most foolish Of prophets
would attennt tn preflict