Evening star., 1939-03-21
A NupoIeonic Parallel?

~ NuPoIeOnlC TuruIIeI:
1t is almost exactly one hundred
and thirty years ago this spring
that George Canning, masterful
young foreign secretary of Great
Britain, turned to challenge the
mounting power of Napoleon in Eu-
rope and the continental System"
established by him after series OF
conquests that left England isolated
and apparently doomed to be his
next and final victim.
The little Corsican" was absolute
master of Western Europe. AS His
torian John Richard Green narrateS.
'its whole face changed as at an en-
chanter's touch" Prussia was occu-
pied by the imperial legions. Hol-
land was converted into a monarchy
by simple decree of the Man on
Horseback, and its crown bestowed
on his brother, Louis. Another
brother, Jerome, became King of
Westphalia, a realm created out of
the electorates of HeSse CaSsel and
Hanover. A third brother, Joseph,
was made King of Naples, while the
rest of Italy, including Rome itself,
was annexed to the French Empire.
: 1t was the hope of eventually
crushing the world power OF Britain
which drove Napoleon to his worst
aggression, the Wanton attack upon
Spain. In May, 1903, French army
entered Madrid and proclaimed Jo-
seph Bonaparte King of Spain. Spain
rose as one man against the stranger.
Desperate as her effort seemed, the
news of the rising was hailed with
enthusiastic Joy by the English peo-
pie. Hitherto" cried Sheridan,
leader of the Whig opposition, Bon
aparte has contended with princes
without dignity, numbers without
ardor, or peoples without patriotism.
He has yet to learn what it is to COM
bat people animated by one spirit
against him." Tory and Whig alike,
Green records, held that never had
so happy an opportunity existed in
Britain to strike bold stroke for the
rescue of the world" Canning de-
termined to abandon the campaign
of "desultory descents on colonies
and sugar islands" for vigorous
warfare in the Spanish peninsula.
Pitt, after Trafalgar, four years pre-
vious, had said in what were des-
tined to be his last public words,
England has saved herself by her
courage. She will save Europe by her
example," Nelson having crushed
Napoleon's dream of invading Eng
land, the Emperor concentrated his
energies upon SubjugatiOn of the
continent. Then Canning ventured
to vindicate Pitts prophecy. In 1915
came Waterloo.
If the latest news from London is
verified by events, Neville Chamber
lain seems minded to draw inspira-
tion from George Canning by moving
to crush the NapOleonic terror of
this hour-Hitlerism. The nation
stands behind him. It is authori-
tatively reported that the Prime
Minister has proposed an anti-ag-
gression declaration by Britain,
France, Soviet Russia and any other
country willing to join a common
"Stop-Hitler" front. Smaller Euro
pean powers-among them, Poland,
Rumania, Yugoslavia, Greece, Tur-
key and Bulgaria-are mentioned as
among the states that might be in
vited into the proposed coalition.
Along with the U. S. S. r., these six
states lie directly in the path of the
Drang mach Osten thrust which as
sumed menacing actuality for them
after the Nazis' seizure of Czecho-
Slovakia.
1t goes without saying that much
water will flow under the bridges of
the Thames, the Rhine, the Seine,
the Neva, the Dnieper, the Volga, the
Tiber and the Danube before any eff
fective Stop Hitler" alliance, either
diplomatic or military, can be con-
summated. But amid fast crystal
lizing events-now at Memel, tomor-
row possibly in Rumania, or in which,
ever direction the victory drunk
Fuehrer may next decide to goose
step-the conviction is clearly taking
root in London that the sands of
mere protest and remonstrance are
running out, and that nothing but
action will now avail to halt the Nazi
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