THE H. B. TRIBUNE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1935. A TEST FOR GERMANY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 63, 26 February 1935, Page 4

THE H. B. TRIBUNE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1935. A TEST FOR GERMANY.

Since the beginning of the present year evidences have been accumulating that point with fair deliniteness to the possibility of long delayed success of wide scope attending the efforts of the genuine peacemakers of Europe. In the first place, we had the announcement of friendly discussions between France and Italy having been brought to a stage where understanding was reached and reduced into Hie form of a pact. In order to appreciate what that means we have to go back to the many bitter recriminations that passed between llie governments of these two countries for some years after the advent of the Mussolini dictatorship in Italy. These, even if in modified and repressed form, had continued up till still more recem years, with mutual jealousies re- j garding naval armaments given a forward place. Beyond these wen j the resentments raised in lie Italian mind at France’s activity in bringing about I he Little En lente of Balkan States and Czechoslovakia and the assumption of a role of protectorship towards it- Perhaps it may not b. said that all these differences have been finally composed, but at- least the part that lias been entered into should help very materially to avert any outbreak of hostilities. Then, again, Russia lias struck an entirely different note, accentuated since the opening of the year, with respect to her relations with Die "capitalist’’ nations, seemingly convinced that, for the present at any rate, she must abandon, or at least suspend, her mission as a proselytzer and devote herself more exclusively to domestic affairs. This new attitude may be dictated by the most material of motives, but the effect is the same in the way of assisting to ensure the maintenance of peace. It was with favourable omens such as these to encourage them that th? Foreign Ministers of Britain and France met early in the month to see if some basis could not be readied for an agreement to which Germany, even in her present restive mood, might he hoped to give consideration and eventually to subscribe. In a most friendly atmosphere a basis agreeable to both the primary negotiators was found without much difficulty, and one, too. that has met with fairly general ap-1 proval among Continental nations. It still remains, however, to be seen how Germany will meet the i friendly advances that have thus j been made towards her. At the outset she was obviously inclined tu I real t hem as a whole wit li , some degree of suspicion, perhaps not unnatural with regard to any- , thing in which I*'rance has had a hand. Iler first intimation was that she was favourably disposed j towards the aerial section of the' proposed agreement, but it was ,-ii once clearly indiejited tn her'

that this could not be dealt with apart from the other provisions. ; She was then inclined to take a . high stand and refuse to be dic- ; tated to in this respect. But better I counsels have prevailed and she has now brought herself to the ■ point of asking for a private consultation with Great Britain such as France has already been accorded. In this we may be justified in seeing at least a disposition ( to recognise the disinterested spirit which the British Government has all along displayed in I its efforts to bring about a better understanding between France and Germany. It has been Herr Hitler’s policy hitherto to talk to his own countrymen as if Germany had the whole world against her, no doubt by this means hoping the better to consolidate his own position as her saviour. As a mail er of fact, Germany has had several friendly influences working for her, but has managed to alienate most of them. Italy was her good friend until she started out to bring about a practical annexation of Austria. For some lime Russia and she were on such cordial terms that the rest of Europe scented danger in them. But that, too, did not last very long. As for Great Britain for the last three years at any rate she has worked consistently and persistently, even to the extent of risking French friendship, for some better recognition of Germany’s claims to equal status among the Great Powers. In these efforts, however, she has been invariably thwarted not so much by French opposition as by German obduracy. So, if Germany really is suffering from a sense of loneliness, she has herself mainly to blame for it. Had she but accepted in a proper spirit the good offices that were held out to her, instead of shaking al) confidence in her by her blustering exhibitions of rabid nationalism, her full and welcome restoration to her place among the nations would have followed : quickly on her admittance to the League. She is again being given a. wonderful chance to prove the : sincerity of her peaceful protestations and if she rejects it her i (‘onsequent sorrows must be upon ' her own head.