HOPE FOR GERMANY

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXX, Issue 4872, 18 July 1936, Page 2

HOPE FOR GERMANY

ITALY'S EXAMPLE. LOOKING TO BRITAIN. Germany's colonial ambitions, contrary to expectations, did not figure in the British questionnaire presented to Williamstrasse (wrote Frederick T. Birchall from Berlin to the New York Times recently). Nevertheless they are bound to arise in the diplomatic debate which the questionnaire will initiate, although for reasons of their own German official quarters would prefer to have the Rhineland and Austrian questions out of the way before getting into further complications.

Developments in Africa during the

recent weeks have had the effect of bringing the question of colonies into the foreground. The fact that Italy has conquered a new colonial empire, of which it will be difficult to deprive her, has aroused German hopes tremendously. In the German view Italy's conquest of Ethiopia, despite the violent protest of all the peoples in the League, has had two important effects on the Reich's own colonial ambitions. First, it has thrown the colonial question open to international discussion; second, it has jeopardised the British dream of Cape-to-Cairo colonial continuity, and Britain will need help if that dream is still to be realised. Therefore, in the approaching negotiations to be initiated by the questionnaire, as well as in the forthcoming negotiations with Italy over Ethiopia, the colonial question must come to the forefront and Ger-

many stand an excellent chance of getting her share in the redistribution which she begins to regard as inevitable. How that is going to be accomplished depends on circumstances. It is becoming probable that Germany will not need to "take" colonies. They may be given to her by arrangement. Apparently the only question to be decided is whose colonic^ —or mandates —she will get). That by hook or crook Germany is going to get some colonies may be taken for granted. The German Press openly voices its confidence in this ultimate outlook. "Must Be Overcortie." The "Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung," for instance, summarises its viewpoint in the following: "The front of the have-nots has been weakened. How? By one of the im-

poverished taking possessions. All have witnessed this. And just as a division of the world into victors and vanquished had to fail, so a division of nations into haves and have-nots will have to be overcome." It will be seen from this that the reverse side of the Italian conquest has not escaped German notice. Some Germans are willing to accept at face value Mussolini's declaration that in the matter of colonial possessions Italy is now become satiated and can enter the ranks of conservative defenders, but there are others who are not so sure. They realise II Duce's need for allaying British apprehensions just now, but they evaluate clearly the temptations of the future. If possession of a large part of Ethiopia was necessary to link Eritrea with Italian Somaliland, will there not soon arise an equal demand to unite Libya with the rest of Italy's

new African Empire through Southern Sudan? And in that case what will be the future of Egypt? However, that is for Great Britain to worry over. For the present German hopes for colonial possessions, although enhanced by the Italian victory, are not based on Italian aid. Germany believes that a deal with Britain is her best bet. In the Commons there has been talk of possible redistribution of mandates.