The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1939. ENCIRCLEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1939, Page 4

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1939. ENCIRCLEMENT.

The German complaint against the democracies, often reiterated, is that there is the attempt to encircle Germany. It is not a physical encirclement in teat is an effort to surround the territory and render it impotent. What has transpired is an encirclement of public opinion among peaceloving nations who have given blunt and timely notice that Germany has gone far enough in her acts of aggression. The opinion is capable of being expressed in deeds as well as words, and it is that changed condition of affairs that deters the furtherance of Herr Hitler’s plan as outlined in his book. There have been recent examples of his success with Ids programme, but plain notice has been given him that he may not proceed further excepting at his peril. The attitude of Poland to the reference in the recent speech to the aims to secure Danzig and the territorial concessions, is pronounced enough to test the situation. Hitler’s speech was one prepared specially .for home consumption. It will not be known readily what are the internal reactions to the stand taken. It must be realised that strong as Germany is, it cannot afford in the long run to flout a nation like the United States and its allies of the American continent. The loss will be enormous to Germany through the cutting off of goodwill and that degree of orderly intercourse so essential to national well being. The abrupt disavowal of the naval treaty with Britain is another fals e step which will carry penal results to Germany. Such an attitude seeks to score off Britain, but the cancellation of the agreement is but another example of the untrust worthiness of Herr Hitler’s promises. The frequent breaches on the part of the leader of a great nation is not creditable to the honour of the country. The German nation cannot be blind nor deaf to the position Herr Hitler is creating for them. The trend of events in their own country must cause searching investigations as to the causes of the difficulties facing the people. If that is not clear, then the wireless broadcasts from international neighbours in the national language must make the position clear to many thousands of people in Germany, or at least cause a closer enquiry within as to the truth or otherwise of the statements given out. from different neighbouring countries. Perhaps it is this form of ’ encirclement that Herr Hitler protests against, and to combat it, he uses his long declamations to discount the story from without. As time goes on in the present atmosphere, the situation must become more tense. Speech and reply, with recriminations cannot go on indefinitely. Perhaps the German nation will soon hegin to realise that this ether encirclement is for their benefit to warn j them of the world position, and when ( they find that there is no aggression 1 from without, and that nations are j not “settins on” Germany, surely the | fervour of the oratory will be pricked . for the want of realisation of the ills . Herr Hitler has predicted. In short, it

is time the German people realised the trend of affairs, and the desire there

is for the nations to live in amity, and each to have its own tereritory inviolate.