Evening star., 1939-09-20
Hitler Peri|s Future
To Win Russians,
Gibbs Believes
Declares Ukroine Dream
Spoiled and StoIin Will
Dictute Terms

Continued From First Page)
this pact between burglars and mur.
derers?
In Downing Street and the Quai
D'Orsay, British and French states
men are trying to read that riddle.
Knowing something Of Russia and
much Of Germany, believe two
things are certain: Germany has
| opened her gates to the Russian
bear, who one day will bite her
throat. Secondly, Stain and not
Hitler will dictate terms. For when
German youths have been sacrificed
in blood bath on the Maginot Line,
Stain will laugh and say, How, now,
Hitler?"
Even now German leaders have to
eat dirt. What pride can they have
in the Polish defeat? 1t was done
by hiring assassins in the rear. 1t Is
only filth without glory. 1t is Stain,
not Hitler, who says what state shall
be set up in Poland's ruins. These
are the great enigmas in this situa-
ton, but in my opinion it is likely
that Russia will thwart Hitlers am
bition for Southeastern Europe and
say, Thus far and no farther, Adolf
Tovarich." Yugoslavia, Rumania and
Turkey may find an ally instead of
an enemy. At least Russia already
has spoiled Hitler's dream of those
golden grain lands in the Ukraine.
Some good as we'll as much evil
may come to Great Britain and
France out of this Russian interven-
ton. Now that the Red army is
beyond its own frontiers, Germany's
chance of getting supplies from Rus
sia are very slender. I know those
Russian roads and railways. They
will be choked by transport for Rus
sian troops. There will be no chance
Of getting food and oil for the Ger
mans. That will be of advantage to
the British blockade. On the other
hand, Poland will not be liberated
so soon; her agony will endure.
The British and the French armies
will have dealt full with the weight
of the German attack in the west,
leaving Russia alone, no doubt, ex-
cept possibly for naval action in the
Black Sea.
That attack in the west is not
going to be light. France and Great
Britain will need all their power of
men and guns to help their plans.
Will the Germans endeavor to
break through the Maginot Line? I
was told two months ago by Ger
man staff officer that the German
military experts considered it would
cost them a million men to smash
through the French lines. He
thought there would be long con-
sideration before they make that
sacrifice. They would only risk it,
he said, If internal conditions and
need for desperate haste forced 1t
on them.
May Violate Neutrals.
MY own view is that before final
attempt to smash through, after re-
peated assaults to test the French
and British strength, they might try
to outf1ank it, either by violating tho
Dutch or Belgian neutrality, or driv.
ing down between Basel and Zurich,
so turning the Maginot Line in
France. That, anyhow, is the fear
in Swiss minds and it has been there
for long time Six years ago, when
I was in Geneva, spoke with some
gangs of laborers working on the
new palace of the League of Ma
tions.
That's going to be fine building
for the League of Nations I said by
way of conversation.
They laughed derisively.
That's not new palace for the
League of Nations" they told me.
1T is hospital for the wounded Of
the next war;
They assured me 1t was all cut
and dried. THE Germans" they said.
will come through Switzerland the
next time. They will drive down
from Basel, but we shall give them
hot time"
That was only popular opinion.
But if Germany is checked at the
Maginot Line, as certainly, her ar
mics will be the ruthless minds Of
her leaders and will have no scruples
about violating the neutrality of Bel
gium on the right wing or the Swiss
nation on the left wing.
Swiss Ready With Lives.
Switzerland will be a hard nut
to crack. Every man knows how to
shoot. They will fight to the death.
There's another factor which will
check Germany from choosing this
way. What about Italy? Italy un-
der Mussolini is undoubtedly swing
ing toward Britain and France. One
proof of this is yesterdays news of
appointing a new Italian Ambassa-
dor to London, after lapse Of some
time.
italian opinion has been profound
ly shocked by the German alliance
with Russia. Previous to that the
Italian sentiment loathed the Ber-
lin-Rome axis, as I found out for
myself when I last was in Rome. I
certainly feel that there would be
a revolution in Italy If Mussolini de-
cided to fight on the side of Ger
many. But it looks as though he
has decided to do otherwise. That
will be q great relief to France and
is a slap in the face to Adolf Hitler.
Now what Of England? We are
having anxious days. London looks
like besieged city, though no bombs
have yet fallen. No one has any
assurance how long this respite may
last. Bad news comes by every
broadcast, and that heroic tragedy
of Poland was terrible to hear. More
than twenty of our good merchant
ships have been sunk. The sinking
of the Courageous was a hard blow
at our hearts. But these young