The Press TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1936. Crisis in Europe

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21728, 10 March 1936, Page 8

The Press TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1936. Crisis in Europe

The most surprising aspect of Germany's reoccupation of the demilitarised Rhineland zone is the comparative calmness with which it has been received throughout the world. In Europe at any rate, foreign offices have been prepared for some such step ever since the German Government took violent exception to the FrancoSoviet pact and declared it to be violation of the Locarno treaties. It is significant that in the last few months there has been an open agitation in the former garrison towns of the Rhineland for a return of German troops; and the gathering of European statesmen, which met in London at the time of the Royal funeral, discussed tentatively the steps which might be taken if the clauses in the peace treaties governing the status of the Rhineland were violated by Germany. The effect of Herr Hitler's move has therefore to a large extent been discounted in advance. Only in France is there any tendency to hysteria. The French Cabinet, it appears, intends to claim that the occupation is an act of aggression requiring the automatic use of economic sanctions by members of the League of Nations, and, what is more serious, requiring the signatories to the western pant of Locarno to give military assistance to France in any action she may regard as necessary. Since this point of view must arouse great uneasiness in the Empire, Great Britain being one of the signatories, it is as well to understand clearly the treaty provisions affecting the Rhineland. Article 43 of the Treaty of Versailles forbids Germany to assemble armed forces in the zone 50 kilometres to the east of the Rhine, and Article 44 provides that Germany " shall be regarded as committing a hos- " tile act against the powers signatory of the " present treaty and as calculated to disturb,,the " peace of the world " if she violates Article 44. The meaning of this is fairly clear. Germany has committed an act justifying, but not necessarily calling for, military measures against her by the former allied powers; and since her act is "calculated to disturb the peace of the " world " it must be dealt with immediately by a meeting of the Leagus Council, which may or may not see fit to declare that there has been an act of aggression. Further and more elaborate provisions for guaranteeing the demilitarisation of the Rhineland zone are made in the western pact of Locarno, concluded m October, 1C25. Article 4 of this pact provides that in the event of a flagrant breach of the clauses governing the Rhineland in the Treaty of Versailles "each of the other contracting " parties hereby undertakes immediately to " come to the help of the party against whom " such a violation or breach has been directed

" as soon as the said power has been able to " satisfy itself that -this violation constitutes an " unprovoked act of aggression and that . . . " by reason of the assembly of armed forces " in the demilitarised zone immediate action is " necessary." Though this is not as clear as it might be. it cannot be construed as meaning that Great Britain is now required to give France military assistance in an attempt 10 compel Germany to remove her troops from the Rhineland. He it Hitler has been at pains to explain to the British Government that the occupation is a symbolic act and that the number of troops is too small to be regarded as a threat to French security. And unless France can show thai her security is threatened, she cannot require Great Britain to provide military assistance. There is further light on this point in the exchange of views which look place between Sir Samuel Iloarc and M. Laval at \he end of last year. M. Laval enquired what, steps tire British Government would be prepared to take in assisting France to maintain the integrity of the European treaty system, his inton-

tion being presumably to discover what attitude the British Government would lake up in such an eventuality as has now arisen. Sir Samuel Hoare replied that flu: British Government would be prepared to use military force to punish an act of aggression against the territory of any member of the League of Nations; but he was emphatic that his government would not be prepared to use force to punish the failure of any power to comply with (ho terms of the treaty, assuming that this failure did not involve aggression. It can be safely said therefore, that neither the Treaty of Versailles, the League covenant, nor the Locarno Pact requires military action to compel Germany to evacuate the Rhineland. Concerning the morality of what Hcrr Hitler has done there will be endless and unprofitable debate. His pretext that, the Franco-Soviet pact constitutes a violation of the Locarno Treaties is thin, particularly as the French Government has shown itself willing to submit the issue to the Permanent Court of International Justice. On the other hand, it has to be admitted that the German Government is entitled to regard the Franco-Soviet pact as an unfriendly act towards Germany, and that the pact is a confession by France of her own lack of faith in the value of Locarno. The pact is not a contribution to the European system of regional security agreements; it is a frank attempt to build ud an overwhelming alliance against Germany and as such has incurred the open disapproval of the British Government. Herr Hitler at least deserves the gratitude of Europe for demonstrating so clearly the futility of the old game of alliances and for driving home the lesson that security and peace can be safeguarded only by strengthening the League covenant. The situation which Herr Hitler has created can be dealt with in either of two ways, assuming, as it is reasonable to assume, that there can be no thought of an attempt to coerce Germany, into evacuating the Rhineland. France and her allies can treat Germany as an outlaw among natiors, whose .word is not to be trusted, and continue the task of encircling her with military alliances; or they can take Herr Hitler at his word, redraft the regional security pacts on the basis of Germany's complete equality with other nations, and use every effort to bring Germany back into the League. The present sorry situation in Europe is largely the result of the attitude that no German government can be trusted.