Evening star., 1939-08-24
The Zero Hour

ne Zero nOur
Events in Europe, localized by the
disclosure of the terms of the Ger
man-Russian non-aggression pact,
have brought appreciably closer the
dreaded hour when the powers may
take up ssrms to determine the in
itial question of whether the Repub-
lie of Poland is to be sacrificed to the
ambitions of Nazi Germany.
The revelation of the terms of the
German-Russian agreement skaters
the feeble hope that it would prove
to be innocuous in character.
Without question, the pact destroys
all possibility that Russian aid might
be enlisted to any degree in support
of British French efforts to stem the
tide Of German territorial expansion.
1t serves notice, at best, that Russia
will remain strictly neutral II Europe
goes to war, and there is at least an
implied suggestion that the Soviets
will actively support Hitler, perhaps
by supplying him with raw materials,
perhaps even to the extent Of grant,
ing military assistance should the
need arise. Germany, of course,
assumes the same mutual obligations
"a promise to refrain from any
aggressive action against Russia,
refusal to support any third attack
ing power and a pledge not to asso-
ciate with ANY other grouping Of
powers which directly or indirectly
is aimed at the other party"
This agreement tears down the
false front behind which Naziism
has masqueraded as the eternal foe
of Communism and all its works. At
a stroke of the pen, Hitler has read
Japan out of the totalitarian front,
leaving Stain free to press his ambi-
tions to dominate the Far East, and
at the same time must have seriously
embarrassed his Italian ally, for
Mussolini, no less than Hitler, had
enlisted in the "holy war" against
the Red menace"
These are some Of the relatively
long-range implications of the agree
ment. OF more immediate i'm
portance, however, is the question
of what it portends for Europe at
this hour.
Reports from Germany now indi-
cate that Hitler no longer will be
satisfied with the return to the Reich
of Danzig and the Corridor. In addi-
ton, he is represented as demanding
the cession of all Polish territory
taken from Germany after the World
War and possibly the establishment
of German protectorate over the
remainder of Poland.
Poland cannot accede to those
terms without eventually disappear
ing from the face of the map in the
same manner that Czecho-Slovakia
and Austria have vanished. Faced
with that choice, it is quite probable
that the Poles will elect to go down
fighting and, should that be their
choice, Britain and France only this
week have re-stated their determina-
ton to fight with them.
It is not likely that the British
and French will again abandon a
Central European ally to Hitler, for
that would mean their passing as
first-class powers and it is only rea-
sonable to believe that both countries
would fight before submitting to
German domination. Thus it ap-
pears that the zero hour is at hand
in Europe and that the long-feared
war may come at any time.
In the long view, with Russia
lining up with Germany, conditions
in Europe foreshadow a decisive test
of strength between democracy and
totalitarianism. If that is to be the
final result, the time has come for
the people Of America to re-examine
the international scene to deter
mine where their real interests lie
and to reconsider the question of
whether this country should seek to
isolate itself from such a struggle
"a course of action which could not
help but be inimical to our own well
fare-or whether 1t should support
the French and the British to the ex-
tent envisioned In President Roose-
velt's original proposal for neutrality
legislation.