Eyes Turn Southeast

POWER POLITICS Eyes Turn Southeast

The European peace pipe, whose coal had been kept fitfully glowing for a month while Sumner Welles made his reportorial rounds (see p. 14), had never been cooler than it was last week. On Easter Sunday in Rome Pope Pius XII not only spoke mournfully of "this critical moment when sorrowful things appear to the eyes of all," but foresaw "even more dreadful things ... for the future."

Action was wanted in France, and so the Daladier Cabinet fell (see col. 2). Action was wanted in Britain, and the press put increasing pressure on Prime Minister Chamberlain to form a five-man War Cabinet, with Activist Winston Churchill as lord of land, sea and air forces (see p.22). The Allies were apparently coming to the conclusion that a war of "limited liability" had become a liability. If the next move were up to them; which way?

Herr Hitler, as he proved in his seizures of Austria, Czecho-Slovakia and Poland, has a great knack of doing his grabbing where the western powers cannot get hold of him. The Axis still protects his southern frontier, Russia his eastern frontier. The Westwall guards his western frontier and the fall of Finland has made him safe from attack in the north. His vulnerable quarter is the southeast.

Hitler obviously would like to cover up the Balkan ingress, and a possible way for him to do so is by persuading Italy to join Germany and Russia in forming a protective horseshoe around the Balkans, guaranteeing them against war--and perhaps divvying them up at leisure. Following the meeting at Brennero, rumors flew through Berlin that Russia's Molotov would soon go there for a meeting with Italy's Ciano. Hungary's Premier Count Paul Teleki rushed to Rome to make sure that Hungary's claims on Rumania were considered in any plan to change the Balkan status quo. The Italian press proceeded to play Hitler's game by accusing the Allies of trying to shift the war to the Balkans and the French Ambassador Andre Franc,ois-Poncet hurried, home to Paris to confer with his Government. Still the balance of power in Europe seemed to be held by Mussolini.

While Berlin waited for Molotov to appear (and Moscow denied he was going), Germany's Dr. Karl Clodius was in Bucharest pressing Rumania for more oil--and reinforcing his arguments with showings of hair-raising motion pictures of the German conquest of Poland. In the face of this pressure and of the danger that his country might be partitioned among Russia, Germany and Hungary if he refused to play ball, King Carol showed guts. He expelled a British Reuters correspondent who filed a story that Germany had delivered an ultimatum to Rumania, announced that a Rumanian trade delegation would go to London this month. Air-raid drills were instituted in all parts of the country. But the King was nervous. He made a speech saying that he was anxious to keep the peace--especially with his near neighbors.

Meanwhile, the Allied Near Eastern Army of 800,000 was standing by. London made it clear that any aggression in the Balkans would be met with force, this time whether the aggressee asked for help or not. In Boston, French Ambassador to the U. S. Count Rene Doynel de Saint-Quentin was even more specific. Said he: "If any other country is attacked by Russia ... we will move against the Soviet at once." In Europe's state of mind last week, the question was not when Germany would act, but whether Germany would have a chance to act first.

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