Evening star., 1939-08-17
Hitler Is Seen WiIIinq
To Try 10 Gain Ends
By Diplomacy
New Move by Voticon
Held Likely to Follow
Burckhurdt Failure
By PERTINAX.

PAR1S, Aug. II (N.A.N.A).-1 Ile
only definite information brought
back from Berchtesgaden by DR..
Karl J. Burckhardt, League OF Ma
tions high commissioner for Danzig,
who was received there on Sunday,
is that Chancellor Hitler could have
either an exchange of views or a
conference between the principal
European powers, which would
transcend the problem of Danzig
and aim at bringing about a Euro
pean settlement.
The inference is that Hitler Is in
clined to try again to have his pro-
gram fulfilled by diplomatic meas
ures, which does not necessarily
mean that failure of that method
would not result in more forcible
means.
But why did Hitler think of max
ing use of Prof Burckhardt, whose
functions before they were emptied
of their substance consisted of moth
ing more than to mediate in a con-
f1ict that might arise between the
Free City of Danzig and the Polish
government? The answer is that
the Italian government made sug-
gestion to that effect. Prof Burck-
hardt always had friends among the
Italians. Moreover, at the present
moment, the Fuehrer and the Duce,
when they want to move on the
diplomatic plane. have no longer a
large choice of interlocutors and in
termediaries.
Not Personally Committed.
Finally, 1t must be observed that
Hitler and Mussolini are very care
full not to commit themselves per-
sonally to any step likely to be in
terpreted as indicating that 1t is
beyond their powers to hold fast
and that, Notwithstanding the ter
rorist treatment meted out to the
peaceful nations, internal weakness
can be detected on their side.
Now, were such negotiations as
the Fuehrer has in view to take
shape, it would be found out very
speedily-nobody here doubts it
that Germany expects to be left a
free hand in Eastern Europe as
against the promise to reach an
agreement with Poland about Dam
zig and that she is ready to give
a pledge of n-aggression to France
and England subject to the conclu-
sion by those powers of a satisfac-
tory arrangement with Italy.
In short, the appeal to Prof.
Burckhardt does not initiate on the
part of Germany what can be called
a new policy. No leaf is being
turned in the old book. If the old
illusion of British Prime Minister
Chamberlain and French Foreign
Minister Bonnet could be revived,
a beginning could be made with
an all-around negotiation, the dis
location of the peace front" would
follow quickly, and perhaps, in ad-
dition, the dlslocation of the body
of public opinion in France and
England, which now has turned to-
ward resistance to the totalitarian
states.
But the Burckhardt matter can
be regarded as closed Prof. Burck-
hardt has disappointed both the
Germans and Italians through re-
fusing to go to Geneva and Lon
don. Upon him probably the cur
tain is about to be dropped.
Step by Pope Encouraged.
But will not italian diplomacy, the
true instigator of the move, attempt
to set the Vatican in motion? Let
us remember that in his public ad-
dress on June 2 Pope Plus XII in
sisted that the possibility remains
for him to renew the proposals he
put forward at the beginning of
May for a conference of the five
powers. Poland, and not Russia,
being the fifth.
Full details have become avail
able of late weeks about what
passed over three months ago be-
tween the Holy See and Mussolini
and Hitler. Mussolini saw the Pope
first, "a hours before any other gov
ernment. He could, therefore, have
stopped the whole undertaking. He
did not stop Msgr. Burconcini Duca,
the papal nuncio, who saw him and
was able to tell the Holy Father
that nothing was in the way. Il
am not in a hurry; can afford to
wait" said Mussolini to him. AS
to Hitler, he told Msgr. Arsenigo
that he could reach his goal with
out waging war. At the end, both
dictators formally rejected the Vati-
cans suggestion, but not before they
had known that their resistance by
France and Poland was certain.
Papal Stand Shifting.
Since last May, Plus XII has
moved still further away from the
political doctrines, points of view
and methods of Plus XI. The apos-
tolic visitor to Prague (amounting
to a de facto recognition of the
accomplished fact in Bohemia) and
his instructions given to the Osser-
vatore Romano to refrain from pub
fishing anything too unpleasant to
the dictatorial regime are cases in
point. Indeed, Plus XII advances
now on lines more or less parallel
to those which, on August l, 1917,
in the midst of the great war, had
led Pope Benedict XIV to the pro-
posals for blank peace which would
have confirmed Germany in her po-
sitions in Eastern Europe.
Toward Germany Plus kits