"Had Europe gone on toward a balance of power alignment, with Britain and France on one side and Germany and Italy on the other, the picture would have become dismally like that of Europe before the World War. If, on the other hand, these four powers can agree, they can run Europe. No country in the Old World can start and fight a war to which all of the signatories of the Four Power Treaty are really opposed."
With Chamberlain, Hitler, Daladier and Mussolini agreeing in Munich, making a four-power treaty and obviously eager to run Europe, the above comment was significant last week, although written in 1933 by able New York Timesman Edwin L. James apropos of the Pact made at Rome in June of that year by exactly the same Four Powers. Away back before the 1922 March on Rome, Editor Benito Mussolini used to tell his journalistic colleagues in Milan that Europe could find enduring peace only by coming under the responsible dominance of the great powers of the West.
On Jan. 30, 1933, when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, one of his first moves was to order General Göring to go to Rome and there propose a militant lineup of Germany and Italy against Britain and France, "Fascism against Democracy." Il Duce at this time rebuffed the overture, urged instead a four-power agreement "for peace." Edouard Daladier, who was then Premier of France (as he is today), saw the opportunity and rushed to confer at Geneva with Prime Minister James Ramsay MacDonald. The snowy-haired Scot next dashed to Rome, some what as Neville Chamberlain was to dash to Berchtesgaden and to Godesberg five years later, and the idea for a Four-Power Pact was agreed upon.
Instantly the Little Entente (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Rumania) and Poland raised a protesting outcry, and before the Pact could be signed it was amended to restrict action under the Pact to what could be agreed upon under League auspices at Geneva, not merely by the Big Four but by all parties nearly or remotely concerned.
These amendments killed the 1933 Pact, which was signed but not ratified by all the governments, and small European states, which had feared the Big Four, gave credit for its death largely to Dr. Eduard Benes.
"Oh, don't bother about Czechoslovakia!" was Il Duce's prophetic comment in 1933. "Czechoslovakia will fall to pieces within ten years by the natural development of Germany!"
Queen Mary & Lord Baldwin. At one of the most dangerous moments of the Czechoslovak crisis last week, when Britain and France were mobilizing for war and Adolf Hitler was adamant in repeating that the German Army would "march" unless Prague yielded to all his demands, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain addressed the Empire and the U.S. by radio, declared Führer Hitler's demands "unreasonable." The next day, at a time of even greater tension he appealed to the Italian Premier to use his good offices with the Führer.