Evening star., 1939-03-24
BY MORGAN M. BEATTY,


Associated Press Feature Service Writer.
Ifyou're inclined to take the head
lines at their face value and get the
idea that nothing can stop Hitler
consult historian.
He'll tell you that Hitler has
come to hurdle-a hurdle the
Reichsfuehrer would have done we'll
to avoid for year or two at least;
a hurdle that may yet be his un-
doing, come peace or war.
In short, Hitler has run into the
handicap that always confronts en-
pire builders once they get going
the handicap of nationalism.
Nationalism works two ways. It
tears up empires, or it binds them
together. Or it may do both at the
same time. Thus nationalism may
help the wise empire builder; or it
may wreck his plans like a runaway
hurricane. In either case, no man
can explain just what happened.
Until now Hitler has achieved all
his success within the orbit of his
own German nationality. National
ism, therefore, was no handicap to
reckon with. Rather it was his
greatest asset. His appeal to Ger
mans to be loyal to their racial and
cultural fatherland always brought
a naturally sympathetic response.
No man likes to turn against his
heritage.
Empire Fell Apart.
But once Hitler creates the So
called protectorates of Bohemia
Moravia and Slovakia. and tucks
them under his wing, he begins to
mother chick of another color.
It's the same chick that broke up the
first great empire of modern times
the empire created by Charles v of
Flanders, almost exactly 300 years
ago.
1t is historically accurate to say
that Charles V. retired to a monas-
terry without knowing what hit him.
Ask DR.. Lowell j. Ragatz OF George
Washington University, an out
standing authority on Central Eu-
ropean history.
Charles v. inherited large Eu-
ropean empire" explains the his
torian. His genius made it even
larger, until finally he ruled over
more of Europe and the world than
any of his contemporaries.
AT the pinnacle of his power he
had Austria, Hungary. the Neither
lands, Burgundy, Spain, most of
Italy, and the lions share of the
Americas. But the whole thing
practically fell apart before his eyes
in 1547.
when Charles v stepped down
and divided the empire between his
brother and son. he wrote a letter
to friend. He told how he had
never spent more than five days in
one place, so busy was he fighting
wars, attending peace conferences
and otherwise trying to hold to-
gether what he had accumulated.
He reckoned his empire was too
big for one man to handle, but he
didn't know why"
Grew With Capitalism.
In the perspective of the indus
trial age, historians explain the
situation. 1t sprang from the new
capitalism of the 10Th century, on
which was to arise the great power
age. Capitalism grew and thrived
In a nationalistic atmosphere. 1t
took several kinds of cement to
make up healthy nationalism. A
ruler needed territorial, racial, cul-
tural or religious unity. One of
these was absolutely essential; all
should be present.
Other great rulers tried empire
building without the natural uni
ties. Louis XIV, for instance, Gre
ated an age and a culture. But so
simple a trick as the Dutch people
turning the dykes on his soldiers
wrecked his whole plan OF empire
and taught Louis the lesson of ma
tionalism-too late.
Likewise Napoleon, the military
and political genius, tried to build
an empire without consulting the
spirit Of nationalism abroad in Eu-
rope. He got by with it for a while.
but finally it got him, too.
Hitler Works Too Fast.
1t started in Spain in 1872, and in
two years it tore down everything
Napoleon had built, like a hurricane
devastating countryside. That
catastrophe was inexplicable, but 1t
sent him into exile, crying in his
battle flags. He never learned that
you can't ignore nationalism.
The mighty British Empire learned
Its lesson as it went along. Today
the British seldom buck nationalism.
They compromise with it. AS late
as 1881, they passed the famous
statute Of Westminster, under which