EVENTS IN EUROPE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19881, 7 March 1939, Page 7

EVENTS IN EUROPE

GERMAN EXPANSION TREATY REPERCUSSIONS REVIEW AT ROTARY CLUB A review of events in Europe and the part played by the Versailles Treaty was given to the Gisborne Rotary Club by Mr. E. L. Adams, of the staff of the Gisborne High School, when giving an address at the club’s weekly luncheon to-day. Mr. Adams said it was impossible to see into the future of European affairs, particularly when there were different idealogies, each working for their own selfish interests. The Versailles Treaty 20 years ago had very high ideals, seeking to produce the millenium for Eurppe, if not for the whole world, but that h'ad not been fulfilled, the outlook being discouraging. Many people blamed the treaty for the rise of Herr Hitler. Treaties Torn Up. A number of .treaties were based on the Treaty of Versailles, and it was significant that most of those had been. torn up in the last few years. The Treaty of Versailles included the cession of German territory in Europe, as well as the colonies to the Allies, also the abolition of conscription in Germany and the payment of £40,000,000,000. The terms were particularly hars.i. Putting prejudices aside, Germany was one of the leading peoples, Mr. Adams continued. The treaty ated Germany in the eyes oi the woiid and it was natural that the Germans, while carrying out their part were determined to regain their pride Wa s in the past were conducted with the idea of gaining territory, b\x\• ™ Europe there were certain ideals which militated against such a policy being continued. If the ideals of the League of Nations had been .followed during the past' 20 years there would not have been the ill-feelings which had developed. Nationalism and Democracy During the past 200 or 300 years of European history, there were two main themes of development, nationalism and democracy. Those two developments had been going on slowly but surely, and had not finished yet. ■ Nationalism secured the unification of Italy in the sixty's of the past century and of Germany in the seventy’s. Italy had been politically divided into many parts, but owing to the gradual development of the people, the nation began to conceive that it had a right to unite and to administer its own affairs. Mainly as the result of Count Cavour’s activities, they had united and developed into a strong Mediterranean nation. Germany had been ruled by feuditory barons, who lived mainly by robbing each other. Part of the country was in the Holy Roman Empire. When German nationalism started to move it did so among the students and gradually the idea spread. Under Bismarck the Prussians asserted their right to lead the German people, and in the six weeks’ war in’ Austria gained independence. After the war with; France Germany-hecdme the united nation we know it at present. Dozens of Nationalities

Central Europe.consisted of dozens of nationalities scattered in various places, many living under foreign rule. Liberalism developed into an idea amongst the people to express themselves in the election of a Parliament. Central Europe was somewhat behind France and England in the matter of democracy. The war of 1914, the worst war in history, was caused largely by the Tuetonic Germans wishing to get beyond their own natural boundaries to dominate Europe and perhaps the rest of the world. At the end of the war the idea of nationalism was ingrained in the minds of the statesmen in remodelling the map of Europe on the basis of nationality. They set, about creating new states and combined with the idea of democracy in giving them elected Parliaments, even though sometimes o'n a limited franchise. Since the war other influences, mainly economic, had come to light, and upset the ideas of the people who framed the Versailles Treaty. The main trouble was the rise of Her* Hitler, whose main cry was to upset the Versailles Treaty.

The German people had a different mentality from the British, and liked uniforms and militarism. Herr Hitler, who was at first laughed at, gave the people the uniforms and militarism, and he did not hesitate to sweep aside even his best friends if they meant deviating from the course he set himself. The Balance of Power.

Hitler marched into the Rhineland, and extended his rule over Austria, upsetting the balance of power in Europe and causing a flutter among statesmen. He took Austria, claiming the people as Germans, but he had no claim over Sudetenland. The Germans there had been settled there by the Holy Roman Empire to quieten the troublesome Czechs. In some ways Herr Hitler’s seizure of Sudentland was his greatest triumph, because he broke through the natural boundaries, and Herr Hitler visualised extending through Austria and .Roumania to the Black Sea. The Munich agreement was criticised by various people, but the speaker diu not think it could be justly criticised at present because it was yet too.close, and it was impossible to obtain the historic perspective on it. Britain had no call to interfere in the Czecho Slovakian trouble, the only reason being sentimental, and it appeared that ffgh we were disappointed that a gallant little nation had been dismembered, it seemed as though Britain had done ilic thin^. Mr. Adams then referred to the Spanish turmoil, saying that the revoi. would have had no success without outside aid, Germany and Italy fmdxu Spain a valuable ground for trying out their forces and in strengthening Signor Mussolini’s position with regard to Mediterranean power. Demociacy had received a setback there. Many people said that England was asleep and had lost her grip over world affairs, but Britain usually turned up where least expected, and a hint oi that was when a British cruiser carried Nationalists in negotiations at Minorca. He hoped that soon the forces acting for peace would lead to a universal • understanding among the nations of the . world. „ „ , . „ „ On the motion of Rotarian F. I. Robinson, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Adams,