RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 147, 17 March 1939, Page 8

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights On Current

Events

(By Kickshaws).

Britain, it is stated, is aware of the value of the League of Nations. Maybe events of the last decade have emphasized this.

Yes, yes, Hitler annexed the Czecli Republic, but, worse still, rain stopped play in the Tests in South Africa ami the match had to be abandoned.

We note that a professor has gone to no end of trouble to investigate the diet of the German owl. Maybe soon some competent person will do the same with the German eagle.

Senator Pittman, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S.A, stated that Hitler would advance eastward till his ambition was'satisfied. This may be so, but it gives very little indication as to what constitutes this ambition. Fortunately, Hitler himself and others have kindly supplied the necessary details, so that the framework may be filled in fairly completely. Hitler has acquired Austria, and now he has been given Czechoslovakia by Britain and France. Actually, Austria was of doubtful value by itself. The acquisition of Austria, however, made it inevitable that Czechoslovakia could be made to fall likd a ripe plum into the lap waiting below. This has now been accomplished. It could not have been accomplished if Hitler had not occupied the Rhine area. That insured his defences in the west. Action at that vital moment would have stopped once and for all an ambition that now may well be realized. In the meantime the British Empire is intact, the French are still a powerful nation, and the United States of America has realized that her safety depends entirely on Britain and France.

Dr. W. E. Dodd, recently American ambassador to Germany stated, regarding Germany, after his return to America: “Mankind is in grave danger, but democratic governments do not seem to know what to do. The United States is as much to blame for the grave dangers at present as any other country.’’ Dr. Dodd, moreover, testified that he knew of an alleged plan by which Italy and Germany were to attempt to control Danubian Europe and the Mediterranean. Maps have been printed in Berlin, in fact, outlining in brown the ambitions of Hitler. The maps include in the brown outline the Netherlands and Switzerland, Czechosolvakia, the Polish corridor, Austria, and as much of the Balkans as could be acquired. Mussolini had marked-in Spain, Egypt and Palestine. Spain is not required, except for its strategic value. One can tick off what has occurred so far. Austria, Spain, Czechoslovakia, have fallen according to plan. Poland and Hungary have been placed in a very unenviable positiou. Indeed, Poland has the choice of help from Russia agaiust Germany, or help from Germany against Russia. Hungary is a foregone conclusion.

Hitler’s programme was carefully outlined in his book, though from time to time, when convenient, alterations have been made. For example, Hitler’s book, as first printed, declared that colonies are of little use to Germany. At the time when the colonial issue conveniently arose to confuse other issues, this statement was wisely omitted from the later editions. At any rate, the Russians have no illusions as to the extent of Hitler’s ambitions. An article signed by Dimitrov gives Hitler’s programme for three years ahead. According to the calendar the fate of Austria should be decided iu the spring of 1938, and of Czechoslovakia in the following autumn. Hungary will be attacked in the spring of 1939, and Poland in the autumn of 1939. Yugoslavia will follow in 1940, Rumania and Bulgaria in the autumn of that year. France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, and Switzerland will be attacked in the spring of 1941. The Soviet will be attacked in the autumn of 1941. Italy will get Spain, South France, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Palestine and North Africa, provided, of course that Mussolini behaves himself.

The principle used in the attack on neighbouring communities of Germany is to make use of Germans already in those areas. The attack is, therefore, carried on under peaceful conditions. Before France can be attacked this process will continue. There are stated to be 12 localities suitable for the purpose. North Schleswig, in Denmark contains 45,060 Germans. This area was settled by plebiscite in 1920. Belgium received Lupen and Malmedy by the peace treaty. This area contains 47,000 Germans. Luxenbourg, an independent territory on the borders of Belgium and France, contains 300,000 Germans. Alsace Lorraine, originally German, but handed over to France under the peace treaty, contains 1,100,000 Germans. Switzerland has long been an independent State, secure in the fact that as so many Powers wanted the area, none of the others would tolerate interference. Switzerland contains 3,000,000 Germans. The South Tyrol, annexed by Italy in 1919, contains 196,000 Germans, carefully forgotten by Hitler when he was complaining about the Sudeten Germans and the ueed to liberate them from a foreign yoke. Poland contains nearly 1,000.000 Nazis. Danzig, Lithuania and the Memel area contain about 100,000 Germans.

There is little doubt that statesmen in Britain. France and the United States of America are well aware of the ambitions of Hitler not only in Europe, but in America, where money has been spent like water on Nazi propaganda. Not one of them would deny that Hitler’s profits already outweigh his losses. Nevertheless, there are entries on the other side of the ledger. Britain and France have been welded closer than ever. Hitler, indeed, originally based his ambitions ou driving a wedge between these two great countries. Instead, he ‘has succeeded in unifying them. Hitler’s actions, especially his treatment of the Jews and his propaganda methods in both Americas have placed a vast majority of American citizens behind Roosevelt. Nobody could claim that Roosevelt was proNazi. Never before has the United States of America taken such positive action in a dispute in Europe. Britain has been forced to prepare a huge army for use on the Continent Moreover, the more success Hitler has with his plans in Europe, the more he must clash with Mussolini. Unless the last-named Is content to take a back seat, he may yet realize that Europe is too small for two dictators. On the profit side Hitler has realized facts. On the debit side he has created contingencies for the future. Napoleon, at one period of his career, was in exactly the same predicament.