The Daily News TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1933. CONDITIONS IN GERMANY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1933, Page 6

The Daily News

TUESDAY, MAY 2, 1933. CONDITIONS IN GERMANY.

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Any comment made by Viscount Grey of Falloden upon conditions in world politics is sure to command the careful attention of Britons in any part of the Empire. Lord Grey was Foreign Secretary in the Government which declared war upon Germany in 1914, and, as be said himself, that action nullified years of effort on the part of British statesmen, himself included, in keeping the peace of Europe by a closer and better understanding with Germany. In 1914 it was the arrogance of militarism in Central Europe which brought about the Great War and the defeat of Germany. To remove the possibility of another Armageddon German armaments were severely restricted by the terms of the peace treaty, the restriction there to be the beginning of a general disarmament in Europe. It is history now that only German disarmament has been insisted upon though Great Britain voluntarily tried to carry out the peace treaty terms and drastically reduced her defence expenditure. Other European countries have pleaded the necessities of safeguarding themselves from potential enemies, the real reason being fear of a Germany once more dominated by a militarist spirit. There was sympathy in Great Britain for Germany a year or so ago when she complained of the disregard of the disarmament clauses ,of the peace treaty enforced in her case, and when Germany withdrew from the Disarmament Conference as a protest against unfair treatment it was British effort which, brought about her return, and, it was hoped, a better understanding of the German outlook and rights. Since then a new force has become dominant in Germany. It is a force which recognises once again the rule of might and government by an autocracy. So far as German domestic affairs were concerned the British attitude was that the form of government was for the German people to choose. . But since Herr Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany he has spoken of Germany’s international commitments and policy almost as though she had been the victor rather than the vanquished in the Great War. Even that might have been pardoned as zeal for the creation of a new nationalist spirit in Germany (Outrunning discretion. But the process of rule by force is showing the same lines of brutality as the earlier military rule of Germany. The Nazis, with the Chancellor at their head, have set themselves up as a hierarchy of Government to which allegiance and obedience must be given without question. Failure to do so is being met with brutality that is inconceivable to Britons, and which has chosen the Jewish members of the German population for its worst victims. And the treatment accorded the Jew in Germany is held up to other nations as an indication of the ruthlessness with which Germany, or Herr Hitler and his followers, is determined to win back her place as a dominating influence in world affairs. What Germany is succeeding in accomplishing is a return to her one-time position as the danger centre of Europe. As such she is hardening the hearts of former well-wishers against her. A few weeks ago Sir Austen Chamberlain told the House of Commons that recent happenings in Germany justified the terms of the peace treaty to keep her disarmed, and made it difficult to urge other nations to disarm. Sir Austen was British Foreign Minister when the treaty of Locarno was made, a treaty, it was hoped,, which would make .co-operation between England, France and Germany possible and thus ensure the peace of Europe. He warned the German Government that a continuance of its swashbuckling attitude could only alienate friends and make it more difficult than ever to loring about general disarmament. On Friday last Lord Grey publicly associated himself with Sir Austen Chamberlain’s warning, and said that the great security of peace now was in Germany not being in a position to go to war. He said recent events had tremendously disappointed the friends of Germany and made it impossible for Great Britain to continue to hold out the hand of peace unless the gesture was to be reciprocated. The warnings are the graver for coming from statesmen whose work on behalf of peace is well known. It will be interesting to see whether they will be heeded by the autocracy which rules the German people.