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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 2, No. 3 March 22, 1939

Obituary

Obituary

"Herr Hitler has taken the Czech people under the protection of the German Reich. The autonomous development of Czech national life will be guaranteed by the German Reich." in the short period of six months, from the date of the signing of the Munich Agreement, treaties have been broken, mutual assistance pacts swept away, and a sturdy nationality with short-won independence has been reduced to subservience. Can Britain be blamed? Can France be blamed? Admittedly the procrastinations of the diplomats of these two countries were considerable contributing factors. But they are understandable from one point of view, namely, at the present time France and Britain are "capitalistically sated." They have little desire for further expansion as vast profitable fields for the investment of surpluses still remain in their colonial possessions. Germany, on the other hand, is highly developed industrially but she was, until recently, in a watertight compartment. Her home market was already saturated with capital products and the Eastern markets monopolised by Britain and France. She had two alternatives.

The first, the "blocked mark" system, formulated by Dr. Schacht proved effective for a time. The gist of this system is as follows: Germany purchased primary products from the Eastern European countries at higher prices than the ruling market rate—but the catch was that these countries could only purchase German goods at German prices. The result was then instead of the traditional freedom of exchange, by which country A may sell to country B and purchase, with the credits obtained, from country C. these selling countries are virtually-bound, economically if not politically, to the apron strings of Germany where they are compelled to maintain large credits of blocked marks. But the weakness here lay in the fact that Britain and France by means of loans (Turkey. Roumania. Czechoslovakia, etc.) were able to counter and to a certain extent, surmount the "mark blockade." This was not palatable to German imperialists.

The second and most effective course open to Germany was by the inclusion of the eastern states within the Reich. This would ensure both political and economic control. Hence the annexation of Austria, and now after "appeasements." Bohemia. Moravia. Slovakia—to all intents and purposes the whole of Czechoslovakia. Hitler's dream of a "Mittel Europa" is becoming a reality. The Czechs will no longer have a minority problem, they themselves will be a minority.

What next? Are we to expect a demand for colonies or are we to expect still further expansion of the Reich in Eastern Europe. To look at the future we must look at Hitler's "Mein Kampf" (so much of which has been realised) for the next step. The colonies question will probably be left in abeyance if Britain and France can appear sufficiently pugnacious. Eastern Europe is still pregnant with possibilities. From "Mein Kampf" (unexpurgated edition) come these words:

"We stop the eternal march of Germans towards the south and south east of Europe, and we turn our eyes towards the east.

But today when we talk of more territory in Europe we can. In the first place, think only of Russia and the border states dependent on her . . ."

My emphasis on the last sentence is important for it is in Poland that we find a plum ripe for Nazi hands. Poland has an Ukranian minority of 3¼ millions forming 10 per cent, of the total population and occupying one-third of the country's total area. This minority up till 1935 had been severely repressed and its Galician-Diet dissolved. Exactly as in the Sudetenland. Polish soldiers and citizens colonised the frontier districts, monopolised official posts, imposed linguistic restrictions, and Ukranian political and cultural organisations were subject to the menace of the concentration camp. As a result there is an extremely nationalistic movement in Poland demanding autonomy and home rule. There have been riots and clashes. Is Poland to be a second Czechoslovakia?

Dr. Alfred Rosenberg has said: "The attention of Germany in all that concerns eastern questions should be turned . . . towards the strong separatist movement in the Ukraine and the Caucasus . . .

If we have now understood that the removal of the Polish State is Germany's foremost demand, an alliance between Kiev and Berlin and the creation of a common frontier becomes a national . . . necessity for Germany's future policy !"

Finally, Herr Hitler at the Nernberg Parfeist, 1936. "If the Urals with their incalculable wealth of raw materials, the rich forest of Siberia and the unending cornfields of the Ukraine lay within Germany, under National Socialist leadership, the country would swim in plenty."

First Austria, now Czechoslavakia, then—watch Poland!

M.L.B.

"The Bulletin of International News," January 14, 1939.