WAR INEVITABLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 123, 26 May 1936, Page 7

WAR INEVITABLE

JOURNALIST’S PREDICTION ADDRESS TO ROTARY CLUB The prophesy that war would break out in Europe within the next year or, at the latest, within the next two years, was made by Air B. l’opisil, the Czechoslovakian journalist and author of “Wandering on the Isle of Wonders,” when addressing the Wanganui Rotary Club yesterday on “Tht European Situation.” Mr l’opisil said that when he left his native land a few months ago the prices of foodstuffs were rising quickly and in two weeks had increased by 10 per cent. Compared with a year ago, the prices had risen by 25 per vent, and similar conditions were prevailing in all the European countries with the exception of the Balkans and Bulgaria. In these countries prices were on the decrease because they were Agricultural centres and were experiencing difficulty in securing sufficient markets for their produce. In Czechoslovakia this tendency on the part of prices to rise was regarded as a sign of approaching war. War was regarded as inevitable and could not be delayed more than a year or, at the most, two years. A strong intimation had been given to householders in Czechoslovakia to construct bomb-proof and gas-proof shelters under their homes. Many people like himself, who hid been awav in foreign lands, ha 1 secured passports and had left the countrv v.hen they saw the signs of approach In a v. If the war were to be one of mar • -i-t man. rifle against rifle, or ret against bayonet he, like r.=, would be willing to go to r-utuc. Modern methods of warfare did not hold any appeal to him. He considered that the next war would be a crime; the nations that participated in it would be committing a crime. It. would not be war-, it would be wholesale murder. fh many of the European countries, manv people believed that the League of Nations did not exis*; .in their opinion it had died. When the Treaty of Versailles was signed and the League of Nations formed, manv voting people believed that the Great War was the end of all wars and that there was only a remote possibility of another war in the next 50 years. Until 1923 no one realised that the whole world ; was again preparing for battle. Japan, ■ Germany, and Italy had been prepar- • ing for war since 1926 and there was j ample evidence which could bo pro- . duced in support of this contention. In Czechoslovakia, the Government Fas encouraging .agriculture and the ,

cuitixaUun of •" cry inch ol the ground. The European countries were endeavouring to make themselves selfIsupporting and this favt had attributed in a large measure for the recent world wide depression. The movement in New Zealand for the consumption of New Zealand-made goods was nothing when compared to similar movements in the European countries. According to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany had lost the last war. To-day her agriculture and industries were much stronger and better organised than in 1914 and their capacity was about 30 per cent, stronger. The Press of England, said M r Popisil, had said that the Treaty of Versailles was rubbish and had suggested that England should break away from it and other treaties. That, he said, might be good for Britain. Tn certain European countries the Treaty of Versailles was the very foundation of tempo rar v peace. Germany had never observed the terms of the treaty in practice and had been ruled by the militants long before the advent of Herr Hitler. The eastern portion of Czechoslovakia was part of Hungary before the Great War and to-day the Hungarians wanted this territory back. The Czechoslovakians said that they could not give it hack because it was a very important agricultural district. Mr Popisil said that when he travelled through Hungary about a year ago he had seen great signs on the roadways, * 4 Wake up Hungary” and 1 ‘You are the hope of the New Hungary.” Inlaid in stones he had seen a giant map of the New Hungary, which included portions of Roumania and Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovakians did not want war because they were in the same position as Britain. He believed sincerely that Britain and France did not want war because they had all that they required. Who wanted war? Only those countries which lost during the Great War. Czechoslovakia was a democratic country surrounded by animus. Mr Popisil said that there was r strong movement for national defence in his country. The movement Comprised young men, university men and professional men. This small Fascist party, in his mind, was right. Czechoslovakia was in danger. Because there was no aristocracy in his country, it was difficult for the outside world to learn the true position. People sympathised with Hungary because her aristocrats had tete-a-tetes with the English 1 aristocracy when they visited Hungary. I Aristocrats were treated only as citizens when thev visited Czechoslovakia | and did not learn the Country’s posiOn the motion of Archdeacon J. R. I Young. Mr l’opisil was accorded a 'charty vote of thanks.