Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-24

1t would be well not to minimize the
significance of the feverish diplomatic
activity set in motion by Berlin since the
recent conference between Hitler and
Vyacheslaff Molotoff, Premier and For
eign Minister of Russia.
Important developments are presaged
by the visit of King Boris of Bulgaria to
the German capital; by Hitler's con-
situations with the foreign ministers of
Rumania and Spain and by the decision
of Hungary to join the axis alliance.
Behind all this scaffolding can be
glimpsed Germanys determined effort to
hammer out a structure of European
union.
There are two factors detrimental to
this new European order" as it Is styled
in Berlin, which are apparent to every
body. 1t is being imposed under NaI
domination and is therefore resented and
resisted by democratic groups belonging
to each country where the movement is
operative And it is being fought, to the
last gasp by Great Britain, which relies
for success in its struggle on continued
and increasing assistance from the
United States.
There are also two important but less
obvious factors conducive to the success
of Hitlers plan. One of these is the
paradoxical circumstance that by isolat-
ing Europe the British blockade itself
encourages that continental unification
for which the Germans are working
The other is the simple fact that some
political unification of Europe is now
more than century overdue.
The advent of the industrial revolu-
ton, with the tremendous advance in
productive capacity and means of COM
munication which it entailed, spelled
eventual doom for the old political
organization of Europe. With economic
and commercial indignation progressing
steadily, that continent could not indefi-
nitely remain a patchwork Of politically
independent and mutually antagonistic
principalities.
Napoieop Sought Unification.
The compulsion toward unihcation was
first demonstrated by Napoleon, who
utilized the new forces of industrialism
to sweep away the remnants of feudalism
in Europe.
Napoleon was baked in his ambition
to unity the continent, partly because of
British sea power but perhaps more
fundamentally because Great Britain
was then much more industriaIly adj
vanced than any continental nation.
Nevertheiess much of the little Corsi-
cans work toward European unification
proved enduring. In particular, he paved
the way for the creation of modern Ger
many and modern Italy. In a sense
Napoleon can be called the original
architect of the Berlin-Rome axis.
At the present time, SO similar in many
respects to the Napoleonic era at the
height of its glory, it is opposite to quote
couple of comments on Bonaparte
made by eminent English historians.
They are not without a parallel in cur
rent events.
There were many Frenchmen," wrote
DR.. Herbert Fisher in his study of
Napoleon published in 1912, who de-
plored the loss of liberty, many who re-
GREETED the renewal of the war, and not
few who had already conceived deep
distrust of Napoleons methods and am
billions. But even these . felt that it
was high time that foreign intriguers
should be instructed that France had,
once and for all. made election of the
government which suited her peculiar
needs, and that since the removal of
Napoleon would not alter the situation,
neither emigre nor terrorist had anything
to gain by removing him
And Lord Rosebery, also writing on
Napoleon before the war of 1914-18,
observes that: Liberty in the Anglo
Saxon sense he would never have con-
ceded,. for he misunderstood and dis
trusted it," But in spite of this: 'Imagi-
nation can scarcely set limits to the
beneficent possibilities of a Napoleon
of peace, of that vast operative intellect
absorbed in the problems of internal
government"
Why Napoleon Failed.
For various reasons Napoleon's effort
to unity Europe failed, in spite of his
military genius and the merger of his
conquests into continental system"
very similar to that which Hitler is now
attempting.
The list of reasons for Napoleon's fall
ure can be expanded to great length, but
all historians agree on certain primary
causes. Europe century and quarter
ago was not economically ready for uni
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