GAMBLERS IN EUROPE

Radio Record, 6 May 1938, Page 15

GAMBLERS IN EUROPE

Who Play With Nations For Their Stakes

EHIND the veil of secret diplomacy in the last few years, says the writer of this trenchant article, lies a sorry tale of the humiliation end outwitting of democracies by dictatorships. In the greatest gamble of ali-with the world for prize-Hitler and Mussolini have bluffed through to victory. When will the democracies ery "Halt!’’?

Written for the "Record" by

A.J.

H.

F the views and facts in Mr. G. T. Garratt’s book, "Mussolini’s Roman Empire" are correct-and the supporting evidence is so weighty as to appareutly put them beyond argument-then Mussolini must supplant Ananias. This book, published by the Penguin Press as a "special," is acclaimed as the most important book on Mussolini for some years. The author was the "Manchester Guardian’s" correspondent during the Abys: sinian War and spent most of the year 1937 in Spain, of the history of which troubled country he gives a very succinct and concise account. In his opinion Mussolini is definitely mure dangerous than most Euglishmen believe, and, he exclaims, "in every eountry bordering on the Mediterranean, people are asking why don’t the English take Mussolini’s ambitions more seriously ?"

Since this book went to _ press, Anthony Eden has fallen from power and Neville Chamberlain has concluded an agreement with Mussolini, the full value of which remains yet to be proven. yBritain’s Part ME. GARRATT’S book, together with a companion Penguin "special," "Blackmail or War," by the noted French diplomatic writer, Genevieve Tabouis, is an absolute essential to anyone seeking even moderately to understand the present diplomatic situation in Europe, and in particular the danger represented by the totalitarian States under the blackmailing and bluffing policies of Hitler and Mussolini. Both writers show how great a dis-service was rendered to Britain and humanity by, in the first place, Woodrow Wilson, and, in the second place, Ramsay Mac-

Donald, through their idealist and disarmament policies, The visions conceived by these two elderly gentlemen have directly fostered the present international mesg and created the opportunity for the "gangster" tactics’ now threatening humanity. Through Britain’s assistance of their aims and reliance upon the ideal of collective security, the opportunity has been presented to the dictators to hold the world to ransom. THE most recent humiliating examples so far as Britain is concerned, are Abyssinia and Spain. In both cases, Britain’s record is far from good. The French writer treats Britain with the politeness and consideration one would expect from both her nationality and sex. but it is left for Mr. Garratt, an Englishman himself, quietly but effectively to tear the veil from the secret diplomacy of recent years and reveal iust how

Britain has heen humiliated, sidestepped and cajoled to the point of imperilling her own position and the very future of humanity. HE blunt statements are made and proven to the hilt that Britain’s Foreign Office had full foreknowledge of Mussolini’s aims and objectives in Abyssinia. Two years before he made his first move, they were aware of his plans. Far from offering any opposition, the Foreign Office, by the Passage of an Order-in-Council prohibiting any British volunteer assisting Abyssinia and restrieting by every means possible the export of arms to Abyssinia, rendered invaluable service to Mussolini in his raid upon that Christian and harmless people. (Continued on page 40.),

Gamblers in Europe

DICTATOR DANGERS (Continued from page 15.) »GAIN in Spain, Britain’s record makes deplorable reading. Mr. Garratt adds force to his claims by the very temperate manner in which he presents his case. Britain knew from the outset of Iitaly’s and Germany’s interest in Spain, and of their active participation in fomenting Franco's rebellion. Instead of protesting, the loreign Cflice-possibly, to put it charitably, because of their knowledge of Britain’s unpreparedness for war-made no resistance against this aggression. On the contrary, they took the view that an easy success was bound to fall to the Mediterranean brigand; thar under those conditions it was better to play friends with him, and accordingly from the outset their policy was designed to help rather than to hinder Mussolini’s campaign. The British people, as a people, were deliberately misled through a long period of time by Anthony Eden and other Parliamentary spokesmen for the Foreign Office. The evidence on this point is overwhelmingly clear. This book tears the veil from those misrepresentations, subterfuges and half-truths, and states quite clearly that Britain’s policy has been based based upon a misconception of the true situation in Spain. ee HE blame for this is placed upon the personnel of the Foreign Office and upon their status and mental outlook in life. The Foreign Office, it is claimed, is largely influenced hy the religious outlook of some of its leading figures. Their whole training prevented the development of any sympa thy for the revolt of the Spanish peasantry against recognised land evils, church domination and wndue army exploitation. Such officials simply could not envisage sympathy with such a movement or picture a possibility of their successfully resisting the armed might of Italy. Mussolini, whose skill as a diploma; is definitely clear, had put himself "on side" with the church by an earlier ‘financial agreement with the Pope, so that his adventure, both in Abyssinia and Spain, had the quiet and effective support of that powerful organisation. INCKH these books were penned and/ published-only a few weeks agio. ~ for they have heen rushed through the press-other important moves have taken place on the European draughi. board, Hitler has swallowed Austria. His next moye, the absorption of Czechoslovakia, or at least the German part of it, forecast in the book, "Blackmail oy War," is now being played out be fore our eyes in the daily cable messages revealing the demand of the German minority for full autonomy in Czechoslovakia. Unless the democracies take a definite stand and call the bluff of both Hitler and Mussolini, the future of the world will definitely be in peril. Mme. Tabouis, whose standing as a diplomatie writer is beyond question, takes

the optimistic view that both agresSOrs are bluffing, She categorically lists the forces that can be arrayed for and against the aggressor nations, and sums up that if the peace-loving democracies have the will to do it, they ean successfully call "the bluff" of both Hitier and Mussolini. If they do not do that, then the outlook ahead is black indeed. Both of these books can be wholerecommended to everyone interested in the most important questions of the day-peace or war? The dangers of the past are fully revealed. It is common knowledge that Britain and the democracies are undertaking rearmament at fever pace. Both Germany and Italy have strained their whole economic structure to breaking point in their gamble for sovereignty. When and where will their people break under the strain, and when and where will the peace-loving democracies say-"Thus far shalt thou go and no farther?"