A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 65, 9 December 1938, Page 9

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Franco-German Relations

"lam convinced,” said Herr von Ribbentrop, when signing the FrancoGerman anti-war pact, “that this declaration will serve to set aside historic prejudices.” The antagonism of Germany and France, especially since IS7O, has had a decisive influence on the European policy of all nations. French policy is explainable on the grounds that the people could have no confidence in an aggressor who has twice overrun their country. From 1870 to 1914 French policy was motivated by a spirit of revenge. “The story of Franco-German relations,” writes an historian, “is the record of France’s endeavour to regain her lost territories and of Germany’s attempt to retain them.” The war of 1914-18 was regarded by the French as an opportunity to crush Germany once and for all and to keep her in subjection. The rise of Hitlerism in Germany, and Germany’s rapid rise to be again the supreme Power on the Continent of Europe, has all along been viewed by the French with grave apprehension. The people have come to believe that they must, inevitably, in Germany’s own. time, fight for their existence again, and at no very distant future.

Says TV. G. Moore, lecturer in French in the University of Oxford: “The main cause of present trouble. ... is French distrust; the root of that distrust is French experience of Germany during the last century, . . . Germany is now, in a strict sense, paying for her double attack on France, Not in the sense that France seeks revenge. That is not true. Nor even in. the sense that France wishes to inflict humiliation in return for past humiliation inflicted upon her. Comparatively few Frenchmen could be accused of such a design. “But i". this sense: that Germany has had the misfortune, during two wars and a period of armed peace, so to establish in the mind of her foe a conviction of fundamental dishonesty, that her professions, now undoubtedly sincere, are useless. . . . The Frenchmen’s faith in the German as an honest neighbour is gone.” The present agreement has grown out of the Four-Power meeting at Munich. “It was aware of German esteem for France when I went to Munich,” said M. Daladier, Premier of France. “We must feel esteem for that great people, our neighbours, who were our enemies, but with whom we should be able to live in durable peace.” Last year, Herr Hitler said: “Germany, and I solemnly repeat this again, has declared time and again that there can be no humanly conceivable object of dispute whatsoever between Germans and France.” Australia’s Defence

The Commonwealth of Australia’s three-year defence programme has been revised in the light of the September crisis, and the expenditure is to be increased from £44,500,000 to £63,000,000, to be apportioned among the various fighting services. Australia’s defence weakness, or her feeling of weakness, is attributed to several factors, her geographical isolation being chief among, them. Her immense area, huge coastline, and small population are others. “The scheme,” said Mr. Lyons, “is related to a wider pattern of Empire defence, the fundamental basis being sea power and Singapore. The Australian Government plans close co-opera-tion between the air force and civil aviation.” Naval, air, coastal, and land forces are to be considerably strengthened. Oil In Australia Fast upon a hopeful report concerning shale-oil in Australia, comes another that there is probably a very valuable bed of oil sand of considerable magnitude in South Gippsland, Victoria. Modern prospecting methods for oil in Australia have been employed only since 1917. In 1920 the Commonwealth Government offered £50,000 for the discovery of commercial oil-pools in the Commonwealth. In 1925 this offer was withdrawn, and was replaced by a proposal to subsidize on the £-for- £ basis bona fide companies operating in areas approved by the Government’s advisers.

There are certain positive indications that oil exists in Australia, commercially or otherwise. On the other hand many hundreds of prospecting bores for coal, oil-shale, water, and minerals have been sunk throughout Australia. without encountering anything more than traces of oil—or sometimes copious quantities of gas. “Briefly summarized,” says an authority, “the search for oil in Australia has yielded only small traces of petroleum, products, and quantities of natural gas, in places which otherwise present the ‘requisite and essential conditions for the occurrence of oil.’ Gandhi And His Policy

Mahatma Gandhi urges the Jews in Germany to pursue a policy of noviolent resistance.

This was his own policy in India. "India is legitimately proud of Gandhiizm,” says Frederick William M ilson. ;t noted authority on India. “In fact I think she is prouder of the creed than of the man. His initial success in putting over his creed was largely due to his holiness and the personal veneration he commanded.... “Gandhi-izm is the East's reply to the West. The West thinks in terms of force —material force —and its last argument is the gun or the bayonet. Gandhi's reply to force of a material kind is spiritual force. He himself — and it is very necessary to distinguish between the strict Gandhi creed and more popular Gandhi-izm —believes in striving' for the soul of his opponent by means of prayer and fasting. . . His creed is a curious combination ot Eastern fatalism. Tolstoyan mysticism, and certain fragments of the Sermon on the Mount. . . .

"The West can understand a matt or a nation that squares up to an honest tight. It cannot understand a man or a nation that squats humbly on the ground, invites chastisement, and proclaims that the conversion of the oppressors will come through the sufferings of tin* oppressed. ... “Gandhi is a most likeable man. His famous toothless smile. Itis large brown eves which open and look at you with a bland, childlike, humorous appreciation. show that besides being a spiritual force he is essentially very much a human being. All sorts and conditions of people like him. . . . Even in the inner recesses of the Government of India lie N almost, affectionately referred to as ’Ute old gentleman,’ which in itself is a considerable testimonial.”