EUROPE UNEASY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 67, 21 March 1939, Page 6

EUROPE UNEASY.

BEFORE HITLER'S COUP.

ITALIAN AMBITIONS.

The Xorth American Newspaper Alliance has made arrangements to publish from time to time articles specially contributed to it by the world-famous French political .-journalist who writes under the name of "Pertinax." The first .article is given below.

(By PERTIXAX.)

PARTS, February 23. Uneasiness persists here in competent quarters shout what is in store for <he Western Powe'-s in the upar future. The war-like intentions with which the German and Italian Government* are credited can,not perhaps be proved beyond all possible doubt by direct conclusive evidence. But trustworthy observers report and describe many scattered facts, upon which the only possible construction to be placed is that the totalitarian States behave ae though a serious international crises was to break out before niauy weeks have passed.

First, Italian preparation* of all kinds are being pushed forward with intense energy in Libya and Jibouti. In the House of Commons ft has been ofti-ially declared that Italian troops in Libya, not including nptivps. approximate by now 70.000 men. On the French side that figure is dismissed as un-l"'.v low. Taking into account the military already under orders to go nveiycen, the Libyan sarrison will before long reach a total of 90.00') men. The presence in Tripoli of fipiicml l T det. the German air general who holds ththeory of a war of short duration, and of several other German generals, testifies the importance of Italian Northern Africa to the judgment of Rome and Berlin strategists. Spies in Tunis. It is confirmed thaf on February 20 several Italians were arrested in Tunis under the charge of spying. One of them, connected with Italy's general Consulate, wae found in possession of an important document concerning national defence. In Jibouti on the same day twelve persons were sent to gaol for spying, one of them again in the employment of the local Italian Consul. Circumstantial reports are available that the Italian authorities in Addis Ababa are accumulating supplies for a military campaign. From five to six thousand soldiers are being kept in the proximity of the frontiers of French Somaliland.

The policy steadily enforced by the French Government ie that all necessary defensive steps must be taken on the spot to prevent Italian aggression from ecoring even a closely circumscribed and temporary success and to relieve the French Government from the necessity of having to the area of conflict in order to launch an effective counterstroke which would probably tally with Italian calculations and designs. It is quite within the power of the well-seasoned Xorth African troops of France to make the Tunis border impregnable, especially with the help of the fortifications erected last spring and summer. As to Jiboeti, it will soon be provided with enough military effectives and anti-aircraft defence to be in a position to withstand for three months all conceivable attacks.

German Preparations. Secondly, regarding Germany, the view prevails in well-informed circle* that Herr Hitler could not fail to answer Signor Mussolini'* call, as the Xazi regime could not afford to countenance the downfall of Fascist power. The most striking feature of the German preparations is the fast tempo prescribed for factories where war material and ammunition are turned out. Last Xoyember the maximum output recorded last Summer had been allowed to fall off' and there was. an all-round slackening. Now there arc indications, that the German Air Force will shortly include about 6000 machines and that over 4000 tanks are likely soon to be in service. Thus, ae to tanks, the gap which was detected last September in the Reich's armoury is being filled up.

The French Government is doing its best tp keep in touch with the German Government and to persuade it to exert a moderating influence in Rome. Such is the reason why French diplomacy remains astonishingly passive towards Poland, Soviet Russia, etc. But no tangible resnlte can be expected to be secured unless France should impress the Fuehrer and the whole -world with the firm resolve to resist all unjust claim*. In Rome it falls to the let of the British Cabinet to remonstrate with Mussolini, upon whom more than on any other man alive peace and war can be seen to depend.

Thirdly, the Spanish sector of the picture unsatisfactory. Notwithstanding official reports published in London and Paris, neither M. Berard nor .Sir Robert Hodgson has wrested from General Fiasco, through his Foreign Minister. Senor Jordana. any assurance of real value as to the future attitude of the dictator. Fascist power will strive with all its might to convince General Franco that he should adhere to the anti-Corn in in tern Pact, concentrate five or six hundred thousand men in the north, where several hundreds of German and Italian aeroplanes would make a .great show, and raise at once the question of Gibraltar and Tangier, so that Franco-British attention should not be exclusively focused any more upon the Balearic Islands. Whether General Franco will comply with such advice can well be. left to speculation, but one cannot feel too confident about the direction he will finally choose to take.—(Copyright: X.A.X.A.)