The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-15

UCJouQ 0uASo4y ACo W4S Oh4 ahlC VI Soviet Russia.
 Almost Unbelievable
 Eight mouths ago it would have been unbelievable that any man or nation could break up and absorb the Czechoslovak republic which the victorious World War Allies erected as a middle Europe barricade against future wars.
 It would have been fantastic to imagine that the President of a sovereign nation would rush to Berlin to ask Hitler what to do; or that the gray-green armies of Ger many could march lrnopposed into Prague; or that the hodge-podge of the old Austria Hungarian empire could be rebuilt.-with all of its in- ner conflicts overnight.
 Yet Hitler done 1t. He has done 1t in the space of a few months and the two great democratic in the World War-Great Britain and France have looked the other way
 Frances Feeble Effort
 The French government made one feeble and meaningless gesture when 1t asked Hitler his intertions toward Carpatho- Ukraine were honorable. That gesture, made be- cause of French military ties with Poland and Rumania, came only after the Fuehrer hadsstarted on a triumphal entry into his new pro- tectorate.
 The great financial centers of the world were calm. The stock market suffered hardly ripple of excite ment while the Fuehrer rearTanged the central European map to an ex- tent that made the sudetenland seizure seew like an odd-lot deal. In England, even the Socialist opposit- ion in the House of Commons looked on in comparative silence while Prime Minister Neville Chamber lain figuratively washed the gov ernment's hands of new power politics upheaval in an area that Ncezas-and may still be-the key to power in all Europe.
 Hitler Keeps Face Toward East
 The contrast between the threat of European War that marked the Sudetenland crisis and today's in1 ternational unconcern in the face of still more sweeping developments is in the roots of the Munich settle ment. At that time, both Britain and France surrendered Centra. and Eastern Europe to Hitler and asked him to keep his face turned east.
 There appeared to be peace and consolidation ahead for that part oi the continent. Germany needed time to catch her breath and absorb the huge areas and populations she had won. It was Italy,s turn tc seize some profits from the new dictorial partnership that was threatening Europe with Q loaded pistol, and the democratic front Britain and France, with American encouragement-was arming tc meet that threat. Encouraged by those developments, the Eastern European nations of Poland, Ru- mania, Hungary and Czechoslovakis began getting their courage bacd.
 Couldn't Stop Revolution
 But Hitler had long ago started 8 revolution that he could not stor even if he desired. The NaM ex- pansion had to keep on-or explode
 Almost automatically-in fact against Hitler's own desire to hold back for the time being-the revo. lution seeped across the internation- al frontiers of middle Europe anc eventually the Fuehrer had te strike or 1t would be too late. Hi blow shattering the remnants of ths Czechoslovak republic had seyera' purposes.
 It cleared away stubborn inter- ference winch Czechs had provided in Bohemia which Bismark-Hitler's hero-considered the key to domin- ate of Europe.
 It provided a stunning example for other Eastern European nations especially Hungary whose great landowners are fearful of Nag State Socialism andw hose army 1. creating the most serious danger o1 a war (but hardly @ major war) by its seizure of the eastern tip Czechoslovakia known as Carpatho. Ukraine.
 Conflict Hangs on Thread How great the danger of a con. flict in Carpatho-U Ukraine will de. pend upon further developments a! Polish and Rumanian troops mas along their own frontiers. But ir any event it is obvious that Hitlel has every expectation of keeping the struggle localized, that Britain and France will go to great lengths to avoid being involved and that tn, Nazi military might will prevail ir the end barring the highly unlikel. developments of a general conflict Most authoritative NaZi source! left little question that Hitler hae agreed to Hungarian occupation O Carpatho- Ukraine either by pre-. arrangement or by force of circum. stances in the swift excitement O developments after he struck at tn, Czechs. By relinquishing his ob jections to a common Hungarian. Polish frontier, Hitler might creat, good will in thise countries and iY Rumania. At the same time, Nag power has become so great in Cen. tral Europe that Hungary-ane thus Carpatho- Ukraine-ca b' drawn into the German net at al. most any time.
 The Nazis have, however, movet closer to the Ukraine by this week. gains driving the Slovakian wedg' of 13,000 square miles deeply int the thin wall of neutral state. dividing them from Russian soil The thread of hatred against tn, Soviets that colored Hitler's previev of European history in ''Meir Kampf" and that has run like : red vein through the pattern o peace since Munich loses none o Its symmetry as the Czechosloval republic dissolves into dust.
 Hitler can still write ''To Be Con tinued" at the end of the chapter. -vs ~- A