CONDITIONS IN EUROPE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22046, 28 February 1935, Page 13

CONDITIONS IN EUROPE

RESENTMENT AT TREATIES DIFFERENCES NOT COMPOSED HOPES FOR THE FUTURE A survey of present conditions in Europe was given by Dr. J. C. Demarquette, of Paris, to a large audience at a meeting; held under the auspices of the League of Nations Union last night. The Fabian Club's social room was completely filled, many members of the audience having to stand. Dr. Demarquette, in company with another French visitor, Count Micard, has spent the past two and a-half months in a leisurely tour of the Dominion, and in the introductory remarks of his speech he paid a tribute to New Zealanders and their country.

"Europe seems to be still hypnotised by the comparatively minor differences between the nations composing it," he said. "Only those who have been in other continents such as Asia and America realise that Europe's common culture and traditions over-ride the differences of language, habits and postal stamps. In the past 20 years we have kept the world anxious by our quarrels. We have not yet reached the unity we should have reached long ago." Yugoslavia and Hungary

Dr. Demarquette added that the Treaty of Versailles and the other postwar treaties had left an aftermath of resentments which were largely responsible for the troubled politics of recent years, yet the treaties were not as badly conceived as was sometimes thought. The difficulties caused by minorities had always been a source of unrest but, taking the case of Hungary, Dr. Demarquette expressed the opinion that the position of the Magyar minority in Yugoslavia was better than that of the Slav majority was when the dominant Hungarian minority had control of the area. Nafturally, however, the proud Hungarian nobility resented the reversal of roles. .

Dr. Demarquette said that Germany's attitude was quite understandable. Germany was one of the leading countries of the world. It had a fine civilisation and culture, and it had made great contributions to the welfare of the human race. Before the war, it believed that its genius for organisation, if applied to the whole world, would be justified, just as perhaps British people felt it would be good if the whole world were a type of glorified British Empire. Perhaps the French had a parallel feeling. That dream had faded and Germany by the peace treaties had been relegated to a secondary place. The Polish Corridor As far as the Polish corridor was concerned, however, even before the war, German school books admitted that a strong Slavonic element extended in a strip through Silesia to the Baltic, and the cession of that corridor had been effected only as the result of a plebiscite. The corridor had been felt to be a great source of danger to peace, yet through the leadership of Hitler, who was seeking friendship with Poland, the German people to-day seemed to have buried all resentment at the existence of the strip of alien territory running through their country. "This change of attitude is one of the most tremendous examples of the force of a leader," Dr. Demarquette added. An explanation of Italy's feeling that the Allies had not carried out the promises made to it before its entry into the war was also given by Dr. Demarquette, who said that Italy's military contribution had not fulfilled expectations, and she had also laid claim* to parts of the Adriatic -coast which were fundamentally Slav. France, however, had made concessions to Italy over certain North African colonies and there was a very hopeful understanding between the two nations at present. In conclusion, Dr. Demarquette expressed the opinion that the League of Nations, or such devices as the Kellogg Pact, could only be fully effective when the Governments of the various nations had a strong public opinion in favour of peace behind them, and when nations were prepared to sacrifice old prejudices and claims for the sake of a common humanity and religion. In moving a vote of thanks to the speaker, the chairman, Mr. W. G. Airey, said it was hoped that a further lecture on economic relationships in Europe would b> given by Dr. Demarquette before his departure.