The Daily News THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1934. EASTERN EUROPE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1934, Page 4

The Daily News

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1934. EASTERN EUROPE.

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For the moment interest in political' affairs in Europe has swung to the East. Russia’s admission to the council of the League of Nations, if the offer of membership is accepted by Moscow, will be considered a step towards the extension of the power of the League and some restoration of the prestige it lost by the withdrawal of Japan and Germany. Others will see in the Soviet’s admittance to the League a realisation that no nation, whatever its form of government, can live to itself alone, and that co-opera-tion with other countries is as essential to a Communistic as to a “capitalistic” community. The importance of the influence of Russia in the peace counsels of Europe is generally recognised. Unfortunately the actions of the Soviet in past years have made it difficult to assess its statements at their face value, but it may be that in serving the cause of international peace Russia will find that her suspicions of nations who do not accept her form of domestic government have been illfounded and unnecessary. Assuming Russia accepts the invitation, Germany will become the only Great Power in Europe that is not a member of the League, and the German attitude in Eastern Europe is by no means satisfactory. A kind of “Locarno Pact” has been suggested—it is said at the instance of M. Barthou, the Foreign Minister in France —in which Germany, Poland and Russia would agree that existing boundaries should remain and pledge common action against any signatory nation which broke the peace. Germany has now refused to join in such an undertaking, and has given her reasons for her refusal with a lack of tact for which German diplomacy has been noted. In January last a “pact of understanding” was signed in Berlin between Poland and Germany. By that instrument the two governments are pledged “in no circumstances to proceed to the use of force” against each other. The Eastern Locarno Pact, with its military sanctions, might by contrast have involved Polish military action against Germany or German against Poland. That apparently is the position taken by Herr Hitler and his advisers, but if Poland were willing and Germany desirous of coming to a further understanding there seems no reason why the agreement with Poland could not have been amended. The principal ground of the German refusal is, however, that certain Powers refuse her equality of armaments. It is a hit at France that is an unhappy reply to the appeal made by a great French general, Marshal Petain, a few days ago. Marshal Petain, speaking as one who had known the full horror of the last war, appealed to Germany and France to find some way of keeping the peace between themselves and thereby ensuring the peace of the rest of Europe. The necessity for caution in regard to the new Eastern Pact, to which the German Government refers in its official notification of its inability to accept the proposed treaty, can be understood, and had that been the sole reason for the German refusal there might have been hope that further negotiation would remove the difficulties in the way of acceptance. But the deliberate linking of the proposed mutual assistance pact for eastern Europe with the general question of Germany’s right to equality of armaments looks like an endeavour to keep political unrest alive and to checkmate the work of those who would establish lasting peace in Europe. It may be that with internal economic affairs gojng from bad to worse the Nazi leaders find the picture of a Fatherland ringed around by potential enemies one that is useful. as a means of keeping patriotism alert and suspicious, and of diverting public opinion from the shortcomings of the German Government. Whatever the reasons, the refusal of Germany to join in an important peace treaty is definite and conclusive. There is little in the language in which that refusal is couched to give any encouragement to those who are working for lasting peace and mutual understanding among the peoples of Europe.