Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] THURSDAY, 18th APRIL, 1935. GERMANY'S ATTITUDE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 18 April 1935, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Over 50 Years.] THURSDAY, 18th APRIL, 1935. GERMANY'S ATTITUDE.

The German insistence upon the “right to press for territorial adjustments to the treaty by peaceful means" is the immediate cause of anxiety in European political circles. It conveys only too plainly that Germany wants more “Saar plebiscites" as a means of pushing out to her old frontiers and even beyond them. The acceptance of such a plebiscite for Austria, for instance, would mean admission there- of that Nazi propaganda and violence of action which have aroused France and Italy to answer the challenge together, and is directly -contrary to their Danubian pact for preservation of Austrian independence. The French are said to hold that if Germany refuses the mutual guarantee pact in Central and Eastern Europe, then Britain, France and Italy, with Russian co-operation, should prepare within the framework of the League to deal with any aggression by united intervention of their air forces. Signor Mussolini is expected to go even farther, and to suggest that the three western Powers should form an agreement to “enforce peace” upon Germany if she refuses to join a general agreement. Plainly neither of these Powers has any confidence in pacific German intentions towards Austria. The test of Germany they propose is invitation to co-operate in a general agreement guaranteeing existing frontiers. “Neither a Labour Government nor any other Government," recently said the London “Observer," “dare face the appalling responsibility of attempted isolation." That policy must cut both ways; if Britain refuses help against aggression she can herself expect no help; and

’'Ss‘'Sv''^Viß o ” ld demand tre- ’ Hrnents by Britain in against a world she Hp.d to. fight as it might is that whether the peace treaty is to he preserved against further encroachment by Germany, or whether the Powers generally are to undertake its revision, some controlling force must be arranged to assure that Europe is not simply to be thrown into the melt-ing-pot again. . Unless Germany will collaborate for peace, and re-: turn to the Lea'gue, some such alignment as France and Italy propose seems inevitable.