“WAR OF NERVES” IN EUROPE GROWING TENSION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20021, 21 August 1939, Page 5

“WAR OF NERVES” IN EUROPE

GROWING TENSION

GERMAN TACTICS REACTION IN BRITAIN CONFIDENCE IN STRENGTH POLES’ CALMNESS PRAISED GUAR ANT E E DISC USS ED (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Rccd. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Aug. 19. An increase in the political tempo appears in the' reports from European capitals reproduced in to-day’s newspapers.

The outstanding’ item in the tale of diplomatic activity, which covers nil the main centres, including the Vatican, was the conversations of the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Count Czaky, in Rome yesterday, following his recent talks, while at Salzburg, with the German Foreign Minister, Herr von Ribbentrop.

The .announcement of the new military arrangement between Germany and Slovakia takes l a leading place among the reports and rumours of military preparations’ by the Reich. The Polish and German minorities on their respective sides of the frontier have contributed to a series of “incidents” of recent days, which extend from Danzig (to the HungarianRumanian frontier.

Prominence is given in the press to the violent attacks on Poland appearing in the German' newspapers as part of Ithe campaign, including stories of atrocities against the German minority, and the assertion of impotence on the part of the Polish authorities, which are said to bear a close resemblance to that conducted last summer against Czechoslovakia. Specious Representation

A specious representation of Polish provocation is obtained by citations from unimportant Polish newspapers, speeches of obscure politicians and manifestos of extremist organisations expressing chauvinistic views. It is believed that one object of tills misrepresentation, in addition to inflaming German opinion at home, is to create anxiety in Britain about the British guarantee, by suggesting that Poland is likely to misuse the promise of Britain and France to come to her aid, for forward and aggressive designs.

This rather obvious manoeuvre has no chance of success here, because even if the 'British public wa.s not as reassured as is Whitehall by the continued evidence of restraint of the Polish Government —of which the recent speech by Marshal Smigly-Ridz was a notable example—and of responsible Polish opinion, their commonsense tolls them that, in the words of one British newspaper commentator this week, “a country which knows that her own soil will be a battlefield if war comes, willl not wage war while any alternative is open.” Anglo-French Guarantee

In connection with the visit to London of Dr. Kulski, legal adviser to the Polish Foreign Office, and his call at the Foreign Office with the Polish Ambassador, it is understood- that satisfactory progress is being made with the drafting of the treaty formally embodying the British and Polish guarantees. The same, incidentally, applies to the treaty with Turkey.

No urgency attaches to the signature of the treaty between the two Governments. since the essential guarantee was so clearly expressed in the declaration -made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, in the House iol' Commons this spring. From comment from diplomatic correspondents of the daily newspapers and expressions of editorial opinion of weekly journals, it Is possible to get a. composite picture of the view of the European situation taken in well-informed but unofficial quarters here. Technique Understood It is a commonplace of discussion that a “war of nerves” is in progress and the technique, it is often said, is now so well understood that the weapon is thought to have lost most of its effectiveness. Nevertheless, here is frequent -praise for the composure of the Poles under the stress of this campaign and of the selfcontrol exercised by the Polish authorities.

Among responsible writers there is an obvious effort not to be drawn into playing their opponents’ game by taking every measure of menace reported from Central Europe at its face value because, as- the weekly, Time and Tide, says: "It is Herr Hitler’s aim that the guessing game should now become a national pastime." So far as the general British public is concerned, Ithe picture reflects a mood of quiet confidence based on the consciousness of having recovered the -advantage in strength. At the same time, what clearly emerges as a serious preoccupation among unofficial observers, is the feeling that those -who to-day in Europe use the “war of nerves” as an instrument of policy, are in constant danger of over-stepping the limits of their technique and finding themselves involved in something more grim and more decisive.

Among the aspects of the apparent deterioration of 'the European situation, reported over the last few days, which attract serious attention, are those indicating a renewal of the tendency 'to invoke deceptive generalities like “prestige” and “national honour." The concern which this tendency arouses may be attributed to the thought, expressed or unexpressed, that '.those who use such phrases run the risk, through neglect of the- realities of (the situation, of leaving themselves with no escape from the path which leads to destruction —destruction jn which unfortunately all may be involved to a greater or lesser extent.