BRITISH RE-ARMING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 9

BRITISH RE-ARMING

MAINTAINING THE LEAD

THE GERMAN ANSWER

Herr yon Ribbentrop, the Germax Foreign Minister, arrived this morning in Munich^ from Rome, where he has had conversations with Signor Mussolini and Count Ciano, the Italian Foreign Minister, said a Berlin message to the "Manchester Guardian" on October £0. He will report upon the results of his Italian mission to Herr Hitler before returning to Berlin. The indications are that the German view has prevailed on Hungary's claims upon Czechoslovakia. Hungary, it seems, will not get much more than the area to which she has a strong ethnological claim. The signs continue to suggest that an early claim will be made for the return of the former German colonies, for which Germany would have Italy's backing. The German claim is for the restoring of all her, former colonial possessions, and much annoyance is professed here at reports in connection with the European visit cf Mr. Pirow, the South African Defence Minister, to the effect that a bargain is being prepared by which. Germany would be offered some of her former colonies and some territories from other European colonial countries. Meantime a new colonial school has been opened for short courses, which include "Colonial Bolshevism." OPTIMISM OVER SPAIN. Germany continues to express optimism for the outcome of the Italian", and German cause in Spain. The coming ratification of the Anglo-Ital-ian agreement and the collapse of the Front Populaire in France are... seen here as contributing towards German and Italian diplomatic action in General Franco's favour. In spite of the good will of Mr. Chamberlain and M. Daladier obstacles are still seen here, however, to a four-Power understanding succeeding the Munich meeting. The principal obstacle is made out to be not [so much re-armament but those large sections of public opinion in England and France which saw a great diplomatic defeat for the two Western | democracies there. The re-armament plans of Great Britain and France, though disliked; here, do not cause alarm. Britain and France are in any case known to be far behind, while Germany is already forging ahead in another re-armament, spurt designed to enable her to keep" the lead. It is significant in this connection that Major-General Loev, Marshal Goering's collaborator who became head of the German Raw Materials Department in the Economic Ministry, has now left it again. He is returning to the Air Ministry, where important tasks in connection with the air arm are being entrusted to him, DISAPPEARANCE OF RUSSIA. The "Frankfurter Zeitung" today deals with the problem of co-opera-tion between Germany and Italy on the one hand and England and France on the other. In the paper's view the disappearance of Moscow's influence from Europe greatly facilitates an understanding among the four Powers. But European policy, the paper declares, requires a fundamental solution. It is a question whether the renunciation of the Franco-British position of dominance of Europe is honourable and lasting. As the paper declares, it is a matter of whether the two axes can be adapted to one another or whether they are to come into collision. -If this, instead of an understanding based on the Munich pact, came a great fight for power would be unavoidable.

We believe we know what Mr. Chamberlain and M. Daladier desire, the paper continues, but when we speak of fundamental conditions of European peace we mean that Britain and France must in their own countries make it clear whether theUr Governments are in a position to pur» sue a policy of peaceful understanding and the overcoming of differences or whether "public opinion" does not allow this.