The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1939-04-06

II q man QOeS IlOG uidAC LEV az
uuaintances as he advances thr1
life, he will soon find himself lef
alone. A man, sir, should keep hi
friendship in constant repair.
Samuel johnson.
ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHrS
Mr.. Chamberlain's stop Hitler!'
drive started out with colors flyint
and bands playing. But, as som'
astute observers anticipated, thu
march slowed down. It may be pos
sible on some future day to reall!
round up the powers in q unitet
front against Der Fuehrer- but, a
this writing it certainly isn't ar
imminent possibility.
The drive involved obtaining
declarations opposing further Ger.
man aggression and threatening
economic and military actor
against the Reich in case she agar
stepped off the reservation from
France, the Soviet Union, Poland
Rumania and a number of lesser
powers. France agreed eagerly
never in her long history has she
been in so dangerous q position as
today, with enemies facing her on
three fronts. But with France, en-
thusiastic cooperation came to an
end. The Soviets were interested
but were distinctly distant Sta
lin makes no bones of the fact that
he regards Mr.. Chamberlain in par
ticular, and British foreign policy in
general, with extreme doubt as to
its basic moves. Poland, a key ma
ton II the agreement were to be
worth the paper 1t was to be writ
ten on, said No. The Polish foreign
minister, Josef Beck, has been call
ed, rightly or wrongly, the most as
tute and most INSCRIPTIONS foreign
minister in Europe, and he Is fair
~ well satisfied to let Britain and
France sweat. His ace in the hole
is non-aggression pact with Ger
many whose expiration date Is 1914,
and he apparently believes it Is to
Hitler's interest to keep his word to
the letter in Poland's case.
Rumania was in the different DO
sitton Of wanting to say Yes, and
not being able to. For King Carols
rich little kingdom Is today In the
most precarious position Of any
European power. II he threw In his
lot whole hog, with Britain and
France, there is a definite danger
that Germany would attack-and
Carol seems to be somewhat dubious
as to whether his proposed allies,
put to the acid test, would do any
more for him than they did for dis
solved Czechoslovakia. And there is
always the chance, he feels, that
II he plays ball with Hitler his
country will maintain at least
nominal independence.
Carol is playing ball with Hitler,
and with c vengeance, as the terms
OF the new German-Rumanian eco
nomtc treaty, disclosed in synopsis
form on March IS, attest. AS an
AP dispatch phrases It, Germany
will soon have her fingers so deep
dn Rumalda's economic and indus
trial life that the influence Of 9TH
er nations there will become neglig-
dble." The treaty gives the Reich
virtually free access to Rumania's
agricultural, oil. metal and tim
Der resources of which she
needs. And the contamination Of
this immensely important treaty
brings up the question Of German
Russian relations again.
It has been widely believed that
Hitler desired Soviet Ukraine above
all else. But, with the grasp he
now has on Rumanian raw mater
.ials, the experts are coming to the
opinion that he will not find the
Ukraine necessary. And that may
mean that he will at last seek peace
with Russia. This might take the
terms Of non-aggression pact,
such as he has with Poland. And
II that should happen, Hitler's pow
er over Europe would obviously be-
come unlimited. II Britain and
France were no longer able to re-
gard Russia as potential ally in
case Of trouble. they would almost
pdtifully Intellectual in opposing
Hitler. And Russia would be free
to turn her attention to Asia, where
she has vital interests.
What it all seems to add up to
now, Is this: Hitler is still going
places, and the farther he goes the
better he becomes able to 60 far
Their still with nothing more Inn
portant than diplomatic correspond
ance and conservations in his way.
e.