The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1939. MEMEL SUCCUMBS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 152, 23 March 1939, Page 8

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1939. MEMEL SUCCUMBS

When Mr. Chamberlain visited Berchtesgaden in September last he was assured by Herr Hitler that he would be glad to leave the Memelland as it was so long as the Memel Statute was observed by the Lithuanian Government. Memel has now gone the way of Austria and Czechoslovakia, and all that remains is to pen its obituary. Events have been shaping that way for some time past, fhe port of Memel, which belonged to Germany before the Great War, was taken under the wing and administration of the League of Nations, and its small territory of about 140,000 inhabitants policed by a French garrison. The next phase was its incorporation within the newly-established State of Lithuania, under the protection of a statute, specially provided to safeguard the rights of the German population, which largely predominated. Following practice made familiar since the advent of the Hitler regime, German interests have been politically active in ventilating grievances and fomenting agitations against the Lithuanian Government. In the Memel legislature they have steadily increased their representation till, at the elections in December last, they had captured 28 of the 29 seats. Alarmed by various threats to its authority,_ the Lithuanian Government in the meantime had suppressed all Nazi de-montrations—flag-waving, processions, meetings, and so on—by instituting martial law in Memel, but under pressure from Berlin was induced to rescind this. Further trouble, however, was experienced by the Government’s insistence on certain “precautionary measures for controlling the situation till it was restored to its normal condition, and again there was pressure from Berlin. _ The Memel Germans were organized on National-Socialist lines under a “Fuehrer,” Dr. Neumann. On the eve of the elections their deputy-leader, Herr Bertuleit, made a slogan of the party’s declaration that “Memel, separated against its will from the German Fatherland, desired reunion with the Reich.” After the elections he. insisted that Memel would demand proofs of goodwill from the Lithuanian Government, and if these were not forthcoming the cry of “back to the Reich” could no longer be suppressed. .It is evident that, however exemplary and reasonable the Lithuanian Government might have been in its attitude and treatment of the Germans at Memel, nothing short of surrender to Germany would have sufficed.. Agitations were continued, and the Lithuanian Government, in the interests of public order, was forced to' make a number of arrests. In addition, the Foreign Minister made a public declaration to the effect that the Government was prepared to meet Germany’s demand that Memel should receive all the autonomous rights granted by the statute and would resist any effort by any great Power to bring, her under that Power’s economic or political domination. In the light of pi esent events, this was as a child shouting defiance at an armed burglai about to enter through the window. The injustice to Lithuania is severe. Eighty per cent, of the whole seaborne trade of the State passes through the port of Memel, and during the past five years the Government has spent approximately a million sterling on its development and the modernizing of its equipment. A further expenditure of a million and a half was contemplated during the next eight years. Among the Geinian population not politically-minded —chiefly the older citizens there was no dissatisfaction. As one said to an interviewer:. Things ate all right here as long as you keep out of politics; living is cheap, and has grown cheaper since the Lithuanians erected their own cloth factories and do not have to import any longer.” An opposite view came from a young German: “I know,” he said, ‘ living in Germany is difficult nowadays, and I am well aware there is a considerable shortage in many important commodities, but I do not caie. I. am a German, and I want to be with my own people whatever conditions are like.” In this remark is revealed the fruits of organized Nazi propaganda, with its slogan: "One State, one people, one leaflet. The incident simply emphasizes the nature of the political strategy deliberately being followed by Herr Hitler in Europe, and which has brought the democratic States face to face with a rapidly deteriorating situation constituting a most dangerous menace to their own security. Treaties are being torn up right and left, obligations dishonoured, and the rule of law has practically disappeared. It no ' v remains to be seen what Signor Mussolini will demand in the Mediterrancan and North Africa. That he will be assured of Germany s moral support goes without saying. And if there is anything in the report that German troops have been passing through the Brennei Pass into Italy, active 'support is also indicated. The situation is assuming a condition of increasing gravity.