Evening star., 1940-04-10
Washington Observations
Norway Proves Neutrality Wishing Ineffective;
Washington Wonders Over Next kuzi BIitzkrieo

isolationist crystal-gazers that be-
fore Hitler satisfies mis- lust for world
domination, Nazi sparks" will not
crackle in these western heavens?
Which do the American people pre-
fer-reSiStance or concentration
camps-Hitlerism or the Bill of
Rights? That some day may be the
question.
Whose Turn Next?
AS Washington international au-
thorities-in the White House, State
Department and a dozen perturbed
foreign Embassies ano Legations
ponder anxiously the incalculable
implications of German aggression
in neutral Scandinavia, they wonder
where Nazi "lightning-war" methods
will strike next. Military and naval
opinion Is divided on this score.
Some experts believe the Berlin
general staff will venture the long
threatened flank movement against
the Maginot Line by invasion of
Belgium or the Netherlands, or both.
From either of the low countries
the allied flank, resting on the North
Sea and the channel coast, might
conceivably be turned In addition,
the Germans would thereby acquire
bases on the Belgian and Dutch
coasts, which would vastly facilitate
submarine and air operations against
Great Britain and France. other
experts, noting current Nazi de-
mands on Yugoslavia, Hungary,
Bulgaria and Rumania to accept
German control of the Danube, in
cline to the view that the .Nazi ag-
gression in Scandinavia will presently
find its counterpart in the Balkans.
Can Allies Thwart Hitler?
All these contingencies, it goes
without saying, are more easily con-
ceived than executed Everything
depends on the allies ability to get
there first" The German propa-
ganda machine has done deadly
work throughout n-belligerent
Europe in persuading country after
country that every one of them is
building on sand if it expects that
allied military, navaI or air as
sistance could reach it in time to
thwart a German biitzkrieg. The
Nazis point to Anglo-French pledges
to rescue Czecho-Slovakia and
Poland. and to the rude awakening
those Inflated nations in turn ex-
perienced as a result of counting
on either the promises or the ability
Of the western powers to snatch
them betimes from the Jaws of the
German juggernaut 1t is the same
kind of warning that is constantly
dinned into the ears of Rumania,
Turkey and the Balkan states. which
are now the objects oil strong pres
sure to throw in their lot with the
democracies rather than with the
relationships.
"Too Late?"
And now comes the tragic fate of
Denmark and Norway to prove
afresh that Britain and France seem
always fated to be just step behind
Germany where it is a question of
prompt, resolute, effective military
action. No other than David Lloyd
George for weeks mas been clamor-
ing Cassanda like that the crowning
fatal weakness of the allies in this
war is that they are always too
late" AS far as Scandinavia is con-
cerned, that taunt may not prove in
the long run to be we'll founded. The
Nazis certainly got the jump on the
allies. but whether their initial ad-
vantage will be retained is a matter
for time to tell The last card has
not been played in the new northern
theater of war.
Brandeis Medal for Ickes.
At New York next Sunday, Secre-
tary of the Interior Ickes will be
awarded the Louis D. Brandeis
Medal for Service to Humanity for
his "outstanding contribution to ra-
cial and religious understanding !"
The honor was voted Mr.. Ickes by
the Citizens Tribute Committee,
sponsor of the award. The COM
mittee is headed by former Justice
Brandeis and Bishop Mcconnell of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Senator Pepper of Florida and Rep
resentative ODay of New York will
preside at the presentation cere-
monies.
When We Laid Mines.
War in Scandinavia resultant