Evening star., 1939-05-07
Speeches by Beck and Hitler
Seen as Key to Europe's Fate
Game of Bluff Over, World Wants to See if Polands
Determination to Survive Will Be Met
by Nazi Mailed Fist
Bv Constantine Brown

summer, to gain an intimate glimpse
German military preparedness and NOR
secrets" Of the war plans division o
the German general staff will percolat
through to London and Paris.
The German diplomats are fully con
vinced-there have been precedents t
justify their convictions the Brit
ish and the French people will thin
twice before embarking on war to say
Danzig and portion of the Corrido:
The arguments brought forward durin
the Czecho-S -Slovak crisis will again or
crate, but even more effectively since, o
the evidence. Hitler does not intend
dismember Poland.
If in the minds of many diploma
there is still a grave danger Of "sone
thing" happening in Europe, it is bt
cause the Poles have indicated in stror
terms to London, Paris and Washingto
that they will not be another. Czechc
Slovakia and will fight
In his conversations with the Britis
and the French governments, Poland
foreign minister, Col. Beck, was expic
in saying that If it were merely ques
ton of Danzig and highway to Ea,
Prussia, a solution undoubtedly could
found. But the Polish government
alleged to have information that Gel =
many aims at much more than appear
in Hitler's present demands. The Polo
remember that only few months as
the Ukranian independence movement
Poland has 100000 Ukranians in ht
territory-was started at Berlin's inst
cation. Among the 100000 Germa
minorities in Upper Silesia and otht
parts of the republic there is stror
Nazi movement similar in tactics to tt
one developed in the Sudetenland.
Wanted No Potential Enemy.
The Polish general staff processes I
know that the principal reason fo
Hitler's complete absorption of Czecho
Slovakia on March IS was a strategi
one. He did not want to have even
reduced independent Czecho-S -Slovakia t
interfere with plans for his drive towart
the east In his speech Hitler confirme
this, by implication, when he enumerate,l
and other war paraphernalia which wer
in the possession of the Prague govern
ment at the time it was taken over b.
the Reich. The German general stat
which these days leaves nothing
chance, did not want a well-armed DO
tential enemy in their rear if the Ger
man forces had to fight f1rst-clas
military power.
Before March Is the Polish German
border was some 275 miles long; sincc
March Is 1t has almost doubled. Tho
fortifications on the Polish-Slovak bor-
der were never so important as those OF
the German-Polish border. Now on ;
50O-mile common frontier the German,
are massing troops and constructing de-
fensive works on large scale.
AL these facts are creating uneasines;
in Warsaw and have caused Col Beck
known to have inspired the late Mar
shall Pilsudski's pro-German policies, t.
turn to Britain and France for assist
ance
The Poles remember that three time
they have been the victims OF Europe.
power greed-three times their countr!
has been partitioned among Prussia
Russia and Austria. But never have tho
Poles lost their individuality or their in
tense nationalism. They were re-createt
as an independent state with 10000, ,00
inhabitants after the World War and in
tend to maintain their freedom at an,
cost-even that of European war. 1
it is question of their going under the!
will have no compunction about drag
ging the rest Of Europe with them.
Poland Usually Lone Wolf.
The Poles have always been their owl
ally. That is to say. they never had an,
particular loyalty for any other nation
their best interests dictated their foreign
policy. If in 1894 Field Marshal Pilsudsk
strongly anti-German decided u
abandon the French for the sake of Hit.
Ter 1t was because he was convinced tina,
there lay the best interests of his coun.
try.
Foreign Minister Beck continued thai
policy despite the strong intellectual
ties" with France and Great Britain. Bul
when in March the Warsaw government
began to doubt Hitlers sincerity of pur.
pose, when the various open and con.
cealed activities of the Germans In Po.
land came to his notice, Beck did not
hesitate to take the road to London
Beck Is realist; he knows that in the
event Of war between Poland and
Germany it would take months for the
British and the French to come to Po.
ish Armies would probably be crushed by
the Germans. But he believes that the
personal interests of the British and the
French may induce them to fight after
Germany has been weakened in a cam
paign against Poland and as a result OF
that belated Intervention Poland's ma
tional life may be restored-a much
damaged but still whole Poland.
I'VE are not Czechs," Ambassador Lip
sky is reported to have told Herr Won
Ribbentrop bluntly when the latter used
his bullying methods in presenting Ger
many's demands. Lipsky, in the name OF
his government, demanded assurances
that in the event 1t made no objections
to the return of Danzig to the Reich that
city would not be fortified. These assur-
ances Ribbentrop refused to give on. the
grounds that Germany was free to do
anything it pleased with in its own ter
ritory.
Whether the Polish question will lead
to a European tragedy depends entirely