Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-06-09
Belief Exists London
Has knowledge Of
German Move
BY WILLIAM H. SLOVENIAN,

moment when negotiations with
Soviet Russia were reaching crltl-
cal climax, when fresh rumorS of a
new Nazi coup were being received
from Berlin and when the King and
Queen we're being taken to the heart
of democratic America, the Cham
berlain government last night I'M
leashed the greatest blast of ap-
peasement talk heard in this coun-
try in months.
This appeasement talk, which in
some cases amounted to an abject
apology for Great Britain's allegedly
stiff present-day policy, came from
four different people: Foreign Sec
rotary Lord Halifax, who was speak
ing in the House of Lords: Prime
Minister Neville Chamberlain, who
was replying to a question in the
House of Commons; Sir John Simon,
chancellor of the eXchequer. speak
ing at Yarmouth, and, finally, Sir
Francis Lindley, former Ambassador
friend of Mr.. Chamberlain who was
talking to the Foreign Affairs Com
mlttee of the conservative members
of Parliament.
The general tone of their talk was
that Great Britain, despite every
thing that had happened, was not
trying to encircle Germany, that
she was anxious to persuade Ger
many of her good faith. that Britain
did not believe in the creation of
rival blocs in Europe, and that if
Germany would only promise again
not to violate the independence of
other nations, Britain would be glad
to discuss any claims which Reichs-
fuehrer Adolf Hitler cared to ad
vance.
New Appeasement Move?
Diplomats, and many responsible
Britishers, were caught by surprise.
The first theory. though it may be a
hasty reaction, was that Sir Horace
Wilson, "Chamberlain's Won Rib
bentrop," had again gained the
upper hand and that the govern
ment was really trying to start a
new movement of the type which
most people thought had been COM
pletely abandoned. This theory is
supported by the known fact that
Sir Horace has again been in as
cendancy for the past week or two,
and the even more fundamental fact
that the British cabinet still has not
made up its mind to stop Germany
when she next moves.
Another theory is that the British
government is trying to forestall
some German action of which it has
had foreWarnigg by stating its case
in friendly Kramer to the German
people. Everybody remembers how
Mr.. Chamberlain called in British
neWspapermen the Thursday AFTER
noon before Germany seized b.
hemia, Moravia and Slovakia, and
suggested that a settlement with
Germany and Italy was in the
offing. He may be doing the same
thing now.
The fact is that the British gov
eminent has had ample warning of
an impending stroke by Germany.
Outright annexation of Bohemia,
Moravia and Slovakia by the Reich
may come at any moment, accord
Ing to information reaching here.
1t is definitely established that there
have been extensive troop move
ments in connection with these
plans and possible further move
against Poland or Danzig. German
troops are reported here to have oc-
cupied Moravska-O and the
Slovak town of Bardejov. Yester-
days Incidents at Kladno further
make it look as though the Ger
mans have decided to stop any pre-
tense of respecting the indepen-
dence of one-time Czecho-Slovakia.
May Be Gesture at Russia.
Another suggestion which imme-
dlately was aroused by the govern
ment's four barreled appeasement
blast is that the British simply are
trying to scare the Russians into
being more tractable in present
negotiations for an Anglo French
Russian defensive agreement. Soviet
circles believe that this may be the
real explanation but they insist that
any such attempts are bound to fail.
Such maneuver, they say, would
probably antagonize Dictator Josef
V. Stain instead of causing him to
accept Britain's terms.
The theory most favorable to the
British is that they are simply try
ing to explain their position to the
world before entering pact with
Russia so that they cannot be &C
cused of having entered into plot
with the Russians against Germany
and Italy. Those who advance this
theory still stick to the story that
Viscount Halifax is really the Tro-
jan horse within the Chamberlain
camp and that there is no danger
Of his doing any more "appeasing."
These supporters of Lord Halifax
insist that the foreign secretary is
heartily in favor of a Russian pact
and would have gone to Moscow to
sign and seal it-instead of sending
civil servant to do Soft he had
not wanted to stay around London
and make sure that nobody tried
any appeaSement.
Lindley's Meaning Clear.
While the I'VE are not trying to
encircle Germany" speeches of Mr..
Chamberlain, Lord Halifax and Sir
John Simon were open to various
interpretations, there was not any
doubt about what Sir Francis Lind
ley meant. According to an official
report, this eminent former Ambas-
sador bluntly told the conservative
M. P.s that British prestige would
suffer less if the negotiations with
Russia failed than if they succeeded,
because in the latter case it would
be considered that we had been
driven to accept an alliance on
Russian terms"
Ordinarily Sir Francis words
would not have created much i'm
preston because he is known to be
a died-in-the-Wool friend of Japan