Evening star., 1939-03-05

Count Ciano must have known of the
forthcoming demonstration in the AS
sembly since it was his father, Admiral
Ciano, who as president of that now
defunct institution sent out the pink
slips instructing members what and
when and how to shout: I'VE want
Tunis we want Corsica, We want Nice
and we want Savoy"
Defiance Mounts.
The November demonstration started
the ball rolling. Arbitrary bombings,
arbitrary occupations of territory in
Asia, a defiant attitude toward Great
Britain and France by Generalissimo
Franco, who in September declared to a
French unofficial agent at Burgos that
nationalist Spain would remain neutral
in the event of another conflict. All
these were to demonstrate once more TO
the constitutional states that it is vain
to try to oppose the irresistible progress
of the axis.
While the British, at least the British
government, still hope that Hitler or
Mussolini. or both, can be induced to
change their tune for some territorial
concessions and credits, the French feel
that the hour is approaching when thev
will have to fight in a struggle for life
or death for the whole nation, at leas.
for its continuance as 1rst-class power
in the world affairs
But both the British and the French
appear to be convinced that this catas.
trophe could still be averted by the
United States. This writer found only
a limited number of people who ex-
pressed the hope or the desire to see
American troops in France or on any
other field of hattie. But they all feel
the man in the street as we'll as high
staff officers and leading politicians
that clear intervention by the Congress
and the executive branch of the United
States would avert the outbreak Of this
dreaded crisis.
When asked how this miracle could
be achieved the answer was: Your
people never liked the Treaty Of Ver-
sallles. nor the implications of the post
war treaties. These treaties are now
dead letters. If your Congress or your
President. or both, would now declare
that since the injustices of the last
war have been rectified and the remain
ing questions can be settled easily around
the green table, and if they would ac-
lively sponsor such conference, it would
be very helpful. To this should be
added an unequivocal statement that the
nations unwilling to accept peaceful
settlement would be considered by the
United States an enemy to the peace
of the world and that the whole might of
the States would be on the side of the
countries suffering violence. Such clear
expressions, without diplomatic pussy
footing, without ifs and whens, would
have most statutory effect not only
on Hitler and Mussolini but also on
the rank and file of the German and
Italian people"
Quick Change Foreseen.
Such a statement coming from the
elected representatives of the people of
the United States, Paris and London
think, would change the trend of events
in less than a week. 1t is the deep
conviction of the totalitarian states that
America is 'just democracy" is
to say. people talk but don't act; that
America has too many physical COM
forts, too many innerspring mattresses"
as Japanese admiral expressed himself
a few years ago when he said that this
country cannot and will not fight. But
should the people and the leaders of
the axis be convinced that the United
States means to stop an armed conflict
such as the one which is now being pre-
pared, there is no doubt in the minds
Of the leaders Of Britain and France
that our words would be needed.
The French and the British believe
that in the event of another conf1agra-
ton this country cannot escape involve-
Eaent. It may take months, but event.
ually we will become entangled. Then
it will be too late; the harm will be done.
Today, they feel, enunciation Of definite
principles and clear statement Of policy
could knock the whole war threat into
q cooked hat.