Evening star., 1939-03-12
TOtaitarian States Demands
To Bring Crisis, Is Belief Here
Hitler and Mussolini Said to Be Getting Ready
to Ask That France and Great Britain
Divide Empires With 'Have.Nots'
By Constantine BrO,vn,

American diplomatic missions abroad
have reported recently rumors based or
facts. that the totalitarian states will de-
mand in the next few weeks reshuff1e
of the present system of colonies Since
the rumors originate from the same
sources which informed Washington late
in April last year that the fate of Czecho-
Slovakia was sealed despite existing
treaties, these new reports are given Gre
dence and Washington officials expect
another crisis before spring is over
According to these reports, the totali-
tartan states-mainly Germany-are no
longer concerned with the return of the
inundated colonies. They are too insig-
niflcant to justify major rumpus
What Hitler and Mussolini have in
mind now is that France and Great
Britain-the main colonial powers of the
world controlling the overwhelming ma
jortty Of the backward countries for their
own beneft-shall divide this empire,
which has been theirs for centuries, with
the nations which are sitting within
their European and Asiatic borders
They want redistribution which will
enable nations now dependent on Great
Britain and France for raw materials to
have access and direct control of these
colonial territories as Great Britain and
France control their territories. Not only
Germany and Italy, but Japan, Spain
and Poland are to share in this division
The Rome-Berlin axis intends to reward
Its allies
Although the details are naturally
speculative. there is ample reason to be-
lieve that the German claims will be con-
fined to West Africa. It is believed that
the old Schacht plan, amended recently
by Field Marshal Hermann Goering, will
be placed under the noses of the British
and French statesmen. This blueprint
calls for surrender to the Reich of the
section of Africa which at present be-
longs to Britain and France. 1t extends
from Senegal to the Belgian Congo and
comprises the Gold Coast, Dahomey,
Togoland, Nigeria, CAMERON and French
Equatorial Africa. Of these colonies,
Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast and Nigeria
are British. Liberia is an independent
republic which has recently indicated a
strong pro-German trend the rest of the
territories are French.
Population of 34,OO0,00O
This area takes in a total of approxi-
mately 100000 square miles with a
population of about 100000 inhab-
itants. All its natural resources have
not yet been tapped; its present owners
have been careful to exploit them
slowly and methodically. The strate-
gic Importance of the West African
coast is probably even greater than it's
economic Importance, for the power
which controls this vast territory also
will control the sea routes from South
Africa and Australia to Great Britain
and France.
The italian claims, as reported in
Washington, appear more modest. Mus
solini will be satisfied with the trans
fer OF the French protectorate of Tu-
nisia from France to Italy; he might
even consider q "condominium
is to say, a sharing of the protectorate
between France and Italy, the latter
obtaining control over the southern re-
gions OF the country. II Duce also de-
mands the cession of Djibouti and pos
sibly parts of the British and the French
Somaliland, which are situated between
the italian colony Of Eritrea and the
Italian Somaliland. With these two COL
onies he would round up his East Afri-
can possessions and would dominate the
sea coast from the Egyptian border to
the entrance of the Gulf of Alden. The
two Somalilands are of little economic
value, but their strategic importance is
considerable, especially If Germany OBJ
tains her claims in West Africa. The
two totalitarian states would thus con-
troll the sea routes of the British en-
pire: the Germans would keep an eye
on the Cape of Good Hope lanes, while
Italy would dominate the Straits of
Babel Mandeb and be able to interfere
with British traffic from the Indian
Ocean to the Mediterranean. The i'm
portance Of the Suez Canal would thus
be greatly reduced.
To complete the picture Generalissi-
mo Franco is being urged to demand,
at the showdown conference, an ex-
tension Of the territory of the Span
tsh Morocco to the southern and east
ern slopes Of the Atlas Mountains.
Spanish Morocco Vulnerable.
Spanish Morocco has strategic value
because its two ports, Ceuta and Mel
hla, could be used as submarine and
air bases, which would neutralize the
"rock"-Gibraltar. At present, however,
Spanish Morocco is vulnerable. 1t could
be invaded and taken over by the
French with minimum of effort. In
order that the axis may be in a posi-
ton to close all sea lanes to Britain
and France, Frances Morocco must be
strong; this can be achieved only if
the Atlas Mountains become the natural
barrier between the Sheriffian empire
Morocco, which is under French tute-
lage-and the Spanish North African
colony.
What territory the leaders of the axis
will ask for Poland is still more or less
Of mystery. In French quarters it is
believed that the transfer of the French
mandate over Syria might be satisfac-