Glacier County chief., 1939-01-06

fallen into the German sphere of in
huence, and this program will be
intensified in 1899.
France May Capitulate.
Meanwhile, at the other end Of
the Rome-Berlin axis, Italy's Pre-
mier Benito Mussolini looks for the
new year to bring him new terri
tories in the Mediterranean. Though
he has demanded" that France
give him Tunisia, Corsica, Savoy
and Nice, he is expected to settle
Tor much less. But France will I'M
doubleday make some concessions in
1889, principally providing for joint
Observation-Disclosures control over
the Suez canal and giving Ethiopia
an outlet to the sea through DjjiiiDvuti.
This particular problem is expect
ed to draw attention during January,
when England's Prime Minister Ne
vile Chamberlain and Foreign Sec
rotary Viscount Halifax visit Mus
solini in Rome. France is Great
Britain's closest ally, and since
Chamberlain has taken the lead in
the 1888 program of "appeasing"
dictators, he is expected to arrange
settlement Of the Franco-Italian
problem.
In Spain, where the civil war is
now more than two years old,
settlement is expected during 1899.
Loyalists, who have lost ground
steadily, will probably capitulate to
Rebel Generalissimo Francisco
Franco. Not only does Franco have
the active support Of Germany and
Italy, but also Of the strong Spanish
royalist faction. He has just re-
stored citizenship and properties
taken from ex-King Alfonso, and
Prince Juan is expected one day to
become a puppet monarch with
Franco as premier.
Democracies on Guard. =
Dictators cannot stand still, and
Hitler and Mussolini must either
rise to new glories or fall in the
estimation of their subjects. That
is why no sane European observer
can predict cessation of the diplo-
matte conflict now waging. If Great
Britain and France expected their
appeasement policy to bring a per-
manent European peace out of the
chaos of 1888, Italy and Germany
are now showing there is no such
thing as permanent appeasement.
Therefore the democracies are now
stiffening their attitudes.
Many are the commentators who
predict general European conflict
early in 1899. Sir Oswald PROV, de-
tense minister for the Union of South
Africa, made such a statement after
completing a discouraging tour of
continental capitals.
Meanwhile the Western hemi-
sphere cannot ignore the threat Of
totalitarian propaganda. At the Pan
American conference in Lima, Peru,
the United States joined with other
New World nations in a program
to keep Italy, Germany and Japan
in check. How well the plan will
succeed is problematical, since it is
based on nothing more concrete
than well-intentioned resolutions.
But the United States has apparent
ly convinced those South American
nations who fear dollar imperial.
ism" that Uncle Sam has good in
tentions.
Trade Battle Predicted.
This is the background for 1895
battle of democracy versus totali-
tarianism. The battle itself will
probably be an international trade
war, since Nazi-Fascist states de-
pend on foreign trade to expand
Germany's export-import activity
grows greater, so does that of the
United Kingdom, whose reciprocal
trade treaty with the United States
goes into effect this year.
From behind the scenes in every
nation will come the clatter of steel
against steel as men forge the weap-
ons of defense and aggression-bat-
tleships, tanks, airplanes and can
non. Never since the World war
have armament appropriations been
so large. Not the least of these is
our own United States, which may
embark on a military-naval pro-
gram plus industrial mobilization
providing congress provides the
cash.
So there is a rumbling of cas-
sions and raucous babble of propa-
ganda to mingle with this seasons
New Years celebration. Will war
emerge, or will common sense again
prevail? Only the infant 1899 can
tell, and he's too young to speak!
. Western Newspaper Union.