The Stratford Evening Post With which is incorporated “THE EGMONT SETTLER" (Established 1890.) MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1933 Old Spirit Still Alive

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 354, 11 September 1933, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post With which is incorporated “THE EGMONT SETTLER" (Established 1890.) MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1933 Old Spirit Still Alive

QOME exceedingly menacing reports have been coming over tj from Germany during the last two or three weeks. The quasi-military organisation of the Nazis nas practically dropped the quasi and almost openly adopted the purely military style, and those who at first assumed that this was merely playing with soldiers and a means of blowing oft patriotic steam have gradually been forced to fear that there is something more in it than a heartening piece of nationalism. It has been rumoured that that there is a tendency to concentrate these disciplined troops in strategic centres, and there is talk of strategic railways being constructed and of aircraft centres being developed and enlarged. T he speeches of Hitler and von Papen and his chief colleagues need not be scrutinised too closely to realise that they are thinking not merely of restoring the greatness cf Germany, which would be highly praiseworthy, but that they have only one conception of national greatness, and that is conquest and subjugation of their neighbours. This is, of course, a reversion to the Hohenzollern tradition, but it: is a reversion with a difference, and that difference for the worse. The German Empire as it was under Bismarck and von Bulow v/as a difficult member of the European family, but at least it was capable of occasional co-operation with other States, there were certain areas in which joint effort was possible, and it had a certain intellectual as well as material and military splendour. All that; seems to have gone by the board. The policy of the Hitler Governments seems to aim at being not merely difficult, but impossible as a neighbour, to refuse not merely to co-operate but even to associate with other Powers, and not so much to deplore ostracism from within. Other nations are to be avoided lest they infect the pure milk of German Nationalism; other cultures to be banned lest the tares come up with the Teutonic wheat—patriotism, in fact, is no longer merely pride in the achievements of one’s country, but a denial that any other country counts at all. Who wills the end wills the means, and the end of that policy must be war. War, according to the old definition, an incident cf policy—regrettable or inevitable according to circumstances, but at any rate only an occasional incident in an existence whose normal condition was peace. But under the Hitler regime the- definition seems to have reversed itself, and policy seems a mere incident making for war. If that: is in fact a true reading of the mind of those who now control the Government, the end for Germany must be not merely defeat, but irreparable and final disaster,