Show Hitler Looks Loops to Vast Europe's Last Hunting Bunting Ground I I I iW t i f ti tit t II j J. t 1 f C 0 Moscow X II SOVIET RUSSIA B ar In I o POLA D r r j I II a Kiev CZECHOSLOVAKIA CZECHO AKIA 11 UKRAINE UKRAINE ienna I I I RUMANIA Yet xe wi Observers Predict New Territorial Drive May 1 Start ShIrt Ne Next t Mouth Month Groundwork Laid LaM by Austrian Czech COUSy Coups By fly y JOSEPH W. W Ln LaDINE LaBINE INE When we talk of new lands in Europe we are bound to think of Russia and her border states i Fifteen years ago from his prison cell In Munich Adolf Hitler inscribed that statement in Mein Kampf Only two years ago at the Nuremberg party conference he spoke again If the Urals with their incalculable wealth of raw materials materials materials mate mate- rials the rich forests of Siberia and the unending fields of the Ukraine lay within Germany under National Socialist leadership the country would swim in plenty Today these forecasts forecast seem more ominous than ever In the brief 12 months of 1938 Hi absorbed Austria devitalized little Czechoslovakia and pummeled pummeled pum pum- meled eastern Europe into economic and political sub sub- mission The groundwork is already l laid id sage foreign observers observers observers ob ob- ob- ob servers look for his newest campaign campaign aimed aimed at creation of a puppet Ukrainian republic to republic to start around February I 1 Potentialities Great It Is a fearsome picture In southern south ern em Russia Poland Rumania Czechoslovakia and Hungary are some Ukrainians whose vast lands if It put under one flag could constitute Europ Europe's s 's greatest and richest nation For years I they have bave sought treed freedom om some from the war pre Austrian an empire others from Russia's czarist regimes Today the Russian Ukraine which constitutes but 2 per percent percent percent cent of the Soviets Soviet's actual territory supplies one fifth of ot its wheat one- one third of ot its barley and three tens of its sugar beets This land contains coal iron and timber Its power plant is second sec ond end in size only to Americas America's Doulder Boulder foul Boul der dam What Hitler would do with this vast territory is no more than the I Ukrainians themselves would do If given a chance He lie is merely seizing sets seiz ing the opportunity to give the I movement impetus and strength guaranteeing that in return the Ukrainian republic will be lily hiu vassal vassal vas vas- sal state German interest in the Ukraine is not new It dates back to the RusSian Russian Rus sian revolution of 1917 1017 when the Ukrainians an entirely separate race from the Russians Russians proclaimed proclaimed their independence and established a capital at historic Kiev Pressed for tor food tood and supplies during the last year of the World war Germany recognized the new republic at the treaty of Brest Brest In return the Ukraine agreed to supply Germany Germany Ger many with a million tons of annually Republic Already Attempted When the republic was overthrown overthrown over thrown by combined d White Russian and Bolshevik opposition Germany stepped in to establish a puppet government government gov gov- at Kiev Klev under Paul Skoro Skoro- who is today leading the Ukrainian Pan agitation from Ber Der tin line This government also collapsed and Russian Ukraine joined in 1919 with the newly organized Western Ukrainian Peoples People's republic The following year this brave attempt at nationalization collapsed Rus Rus- Russian sian Ukraine went to the Moscow government and Western Ukraine to Poland Every German move of the past year has been well-reasoned well and planned along lines of logical pro pro- For the moment the most important fact is that each of these moves was essential to the Ukrainian ian tan campaign First came Austria's which in n turn permitted Germany to use a pincher play playon on Czechoslovakia This barrier battler removed re re- removed moved littler Hitler went about his hi job of the Balkans carefully voiding avoiding any indication that this I program looked ultimately to the Ukraine It was not until November that the cat jumped lumped out of the bag bar Quietly Qui etly through pressure from Berlin weakened Czechoslovakia h had a d granted autonomy to the far tar eastern province of which was significantly renamed Ukraine Here was a abit bit of actual Ukrainian territory which littler Hitler could control an excellent Jumping Jumping- oft off place for his campaign The zealousness with which Germany protected Ukraine when Hungary backed by Poland sought to annex it it Indicated that here at last Jast was the sought long and precious path to the east ast I Start Polish Agitation S Subsequent developments strengthen strength en this opinion While Italy has kept European eyes focused on the Mediterranean with her ber campaign ABOVE TIe The The vast rast Ukraine spreading over southern Russia Rus Rua sin sia including a third ird of oj Poland Pa Po land and amI reaching into Czecho Slovakia h Hungary and Ru mania Economic political con trot rol over this I. I huge area would give Germany a strangle hold holdon holdi on European raw rOlo materials against France German agents have poured into Other measures have been directed direct ed at Poland whose Ukrainian districts districts dis of and Halicz have presented the Warsaw parliament with demands for territorial auton omy Although self-government self de do demands mands have been growing for 16 10 years this is the first time a concrete concrete con con- crete proposal has been presented What shape Germanys Germany's Ukrainian campaign will take can only be guessed Certainly Hitler cannot be beso beso beso so blunt lunt as to march his bis troops into Polish or Russian territory without a provocation but he may follow the currently popular technique of ot fostering fos an incident which would offer an excuse for marching into foreign territory to safeguard peace Since Ukraine is the off jumping place a revolt could be planted there very conveniently Already Czechoslovakia and Poland are at swords ends because Ukrainian ian agitation is being fomented on Czech soil soU Should Germany march marchin in to settle this dispute she would meet no opposition from subservient ent eat Czechoslovakia e 0 Western Newspaper Union |