"EITHER OR" TONE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 264, 6 November 1937, Page 22

"EITHER OR" TONE.

OMINOUS RUMBLING. I GERMANY TO LITHUANIA. BERLIN. In celebration of the "Day of German Folkdom," which is being observed for' the purpose of consolidating the 30,000,-, 000 Germans of foreign citizenship scat-1 tered over the world, the "Voelkischer Beobachter" published a remarkable article that in diplomatic quarters was interpreted as nothing less than a threat of military action against Lithuania. The article, unlike the frequent press attacks on almost all the Central and Eastern European countries for their treatment of German minorities, neither argues nor denounces; it merely poses in diplomatic language the "either or" of an ultimatum and is therefore interpreted as the forerunner at least of diplomatic action. Land Owners Dispossessed. The attack is based on Lithuania's dispossession—against compensation—of twenty-four landowners in and around Memel for military, harbour and transport purposes. Contending that this action violates the Lithuanian Constitution and the Memel Statute and that it has aroused "one united cry of resentment among Memel Germans," the "Voelkischer Beobachter" writes under the heading "Kaunas Has the Choice" that Lithuania "would deceive itself if in the year 1937 it still believed in any constrained German policy. "The fact is that Lithuania stands in respect to us before an inescapable 'either or' to-day," it continues. "Either it does assume responsibility for the Memel dispossessions ... or Lithuania proves that it is not the consolidated State that it represents itself to be. Germany's New Army. "In either case Lithuania must be stricken from account as a serious political partner—with the consequence that Lithuania might learn from those of her political friends who have comprehended that the year 1937 is not the year 1933." The difference between 1933 and 1937 is, of course, the German Army, to which the article obviously refers. Aside from this ominous rumbling in the foreign political field, the "Day of German Folkdom" was observed rather quietly, much in contrast with the many speeches and noisy demonstrations of thei recent Stuttgart Congress of Germans abroad. The reason is that the work among the members of the German minorities who are foreign citizens must be conducted circumspectly to avoid retaliatory action by foreign Governments. The observance consists, therefore, mainly of Press comments, radio broadcasts, school celebrations and a nationwide collection of funds during the rest of the month.