Evening star., 1939-11-19

suspension of Swedish German trade
negotiations. At other end of scale was
Yugoslav action of imposing government
control over export of minerals from
French and British operated mines in
Yugoslavia. And from London came
pitiful story that Britishers were being
forced to cut down on bacon and egg
breakfasts.
Despite this horrendous development,
to Won Ribbentrop's polite refusal of
Dutch-Belgian peace offer and to Nazi
reiteration of threat that war has just
begun" Britain's King George last week
replied in lofty tone that allies are stand
ing firm on determination to redeem
Europe from perpetually recurring fear
of German aggression; in equally
spiritual tone Frances President Lebrun
went even further to remark that "last-
ing peace can only be established by
reparation of the injustices that force
imposed on Austria, Czecho-Slovakia
and Poland"
But it was Churchill, chubby and
tough, who really fought verbal battle
of the week. In as fine
Churchill collection of fancy
Tounts Foe verbs and adjectives as
has yet appeared, Bri-
tain's first lord of the admiralty roared
allied defiance of frenzy of cornered
maniac Herr Hitler
Acidly, he taunted Nazis for leaving
their naval strength hiding and rusting
in neutral harbors" and for massing do
cile conscripts" along neutral frontiers
of Holland and Belgium.
For first time in present war; he
called Germans Huns; Hitler and Won
Ribbentrop he called twin contortion-
ists''; at Goebbels' ministry OF 1nforma-
ton he tossed "leather-lunged propa-
ganda machine, bawling horrid threats
around the world
And if allies fail, he chanted "the
United States will be left, single-handed,
to guard the rights of man"
That war of nerves may be breeding
trouble behind the lines was indicated
in reports coming out of
Disturbances Prague in recent days,
In Prooue first that some 1000
Czech students partici-
pated in demonstration of rioutous vio-
lence in protest against Bohemia
Moravia protectorate set up by Berlin,
second that German elite guardsmen had
taken over school and university build
ings in Prague and hauled away some
1,200 boys and girls.
Later came word of executions, marshal
law and closing of academies for three
years.
Perhaps not without significance has
been frequent recurrence in past days
and weeks of discussions about federal
unions and world peace" Blaming fail
ure of League of Nations to its lack of
central authority, maintenance Of COM
plete sovereignty of members, those talk
ing of new collective effort suggest
| instead a federal form of international
association in which certain powers
| such as maintenance of international
| order-are delegated to the association.
In more conventional style of inter-
national agreements, it was reported
| from Bucharest last week that six
Balkan nations-Rumania, Yugoslavia,
Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece and Turkey
had pledged postponement of their To-
cal criss-cross of difference in interests
of deeper peace.
| This futtering of dove over southern
Europe was not so noticeable in Baltic
area.
| Refusing for past five weeks to be
rushed into one of Soviets famed "mu-
tual assistance" pacts, Finnish delega-
| ton left Moscow on
Firms Reject Tuesday after definite
Soviet aid" rejection OF modified
Russian demand for
naval base on Gulf of Finland, cession
of strip of land north of Leningrad, GER
tain defense" privileges on Finlands S
Arctic coast. In return, Soviet had Of
fered land in lake-studded Karelia re-
gion.
Breakdown of negotiations came amid
tempest of Tass invective against Fin
land and allegedly evil instigatcrs of
little nations determination, Britain and
France. Finland, Tass stormed, "is play
ing dangerous game of plotting war
against the Soviet Union
With approximately onetenth of its
100000 population mobilized for de-