THE EUROPEAN CRISIS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22519, 29 September 1938, Page 9

THE EUROPEAN CRISIS

TO THE EDtTOR OK THE J-REBS.

■ Sir, —Are we heading for another world War? I think not and I hope h°t- So far as Germany and Czechoslovakia are concerned the issue is quite clear. The Czechs must agree to hand over the Sudetens to Germany On Germany’s terms or Germany will take them over by force. lam inclined to think that the Czechs, when they fully realise that the democracies cannot help them, will acquiesce in Germany’s demands. Should they not do go, Germany will set out to reai-range the map ,of eastern Europe to suit herself. In either case there will be no World War unless Britain and France precipitate it by declaring war against Germany. Germany has no intention of attacking either France or Britain. She '’as nothing to gain and everything to lose by doing so. If Germany were to attack France and Britain she might in the end win. but she would be so mauled and weakened by the effort that the Bolsheviks would fall upon her and tear her to pieces. ■ The Germans will not attack us. If they march east to-day will ihe democracies attack them? Again 1 do not think so. Force will be the deciding factor, force on the one side and the absence of force on the other. And the balance of force is so heavily tilted against the democracies that they would be mad to declare war. France is blocked out by the German defences from Belgium to Switzerland. Stalemate on the western front is a certainty. To talk of France going to the help of Czechoslovakia is utter rubbish. The same thing applies to the British Commonwealth of Nations, which is incapable of exerting any influence in Europe. If the British Empire had 2,000,000 men in arms, better officered and equipped than the armies of Germany or Japan dr Italy, and ready to march at the fall of the flag, they would provide a real deterrent to the expansionist activities of the totalitarian States. Russia has an army of about 2,000,000 men. but it >s not organised and trained for operations beyond the Russian frontiers. It has no transport. It is a Communist force maintained to bolster up the dictatorship of the proletariat. To sum up, France is immobilised, the British Empire not organised, armed, or prepared for war, and Russia is useless. There will be no war Yours, etcA. W. ANDREW, Br.-Genl. ; September 28, 1938.

io tu« editor or ran press. Sir,—‘‘This is 1033” is to be reminded that this is indeed 1938. That Hitler has been vilified is to be expected. He denies that democracy is of good government, that religion has any use. that reason is now capable of Intelligent conclusions, and asserts that ’the only thing that has a future is “a feeling of awareness of blood”. This need not be taken from any writers investigating his Nazi ideology but from his own “Mein Kamnf.” If he has been vilified, he deserves It. Chamberlain has. being himself a reactionary, a close feeling for Hitler. His policy is motivated by; 1. A common front with Hitler against the increasing power of democracy. 2. Increasing German power to offset France, to incraese French reliance on Britain. '3. Putting , Germany in • a .position U* attack Russia. This includes all the little cotmlries coming between Germany .and Russia becoming German.ised, and the formation 1 of a Four Powef -pact to safeguard western parties to the pact.. How Chamberlain has carried out this policy is seen in the attitude to Austria and. the .attempted dismemberment of Czechoslovakia. Baldwin had at least a sense ot Imperial necessities. Hitler saved Germany from Communism? Who said it but Hitler himself. In any case if a majority of any nation require a form of Government that the majority require, is It not their right to have that Government? If Hitler did indeed save Germany from Communism, why was it that he was able to get a 99 per cent, support for himself? What Hitler did was allow the ‘‘big business” tiJ carry on the German State according to the rules that suited themselves. This suiting themselves has a great deal of helping themselves in its philosophy. The expansionist aims of the Nazis are fundamentally an expansion of a closed market for themselves.

As for Hungary and Poland, they are coming into the fray not because they have any crying love for their fellow .conspirators across the border but ..because: 1. They would like a share in’ the spoils. 2. They have prob-, ably had a terrific' German pressure imposed on them. In the final sentence one can see that familiar appeal to “blood and ideals” that the Nazi cult is so fond of quoting. Ry blood and Ideals Hitler means that he justifies: 1. The ruthless suppression of all radical or inquiring though,!. 2. The ruthless suppression of Jews or any religion which is based on humanitarian ideals. 3. Complete black-out of popular control of the governing powers. 4, Total control of the press either dally, periodical, or casual. Total control of culture, embracing music. drama, radio, sports, or anything that brings people into contact with one another, 5. Absolute control, so far as blackmail, threats, or bodily harm can make it absolute, of nationals living anywhere in the world. We then are bound by the same blood and ideals as Mussolini and his friend. Hitler. I think and hope not.—Yours, etc» GORDON WRIGHT. September 28, 1938.

t 6 tu editor ok thr PRESS. Sir, —“Germany prepares her wool armaments” by "X Pulsus” is the title of an article which appeared in the ‘‘Monode.” May, 1937. »It deals with Germany’s determination_t<# have sufficient wool to clothe her standing ■ army of half a million and 5,000.000 to 8.000,000 reserves (1937). also to have everything tnat could possibly be needed an war for her army and civilian population from “guns to catgut for operations and from ore and petrol to cork stoppers and lemons.” On*v paragraph reads: ‘Herr von Prltsch has only another 18 months to fulfil his promise to Herr Hitler, of two years ago, that the army would be march-ready in October, 1938.” I wonder if the date of preparedness October, 1038. is a coincidence wu». Herr Hitler’s “Der Tag” or just the fulfilment of a plan! All mothers of sons must be with me in praying for peace (honourable) “ Y ° Ur MOTHER QF THR]e!e gONS September 28. 1935. .