London, Dec. 12.
HILE the Mediterranean is being thrown into increasing disturbance by Italy's demands, which are preoccupying France, Herr Hitler is on the verge of a further movement in eastern Europe," declared Mr. Winston Churchill in a speech yesterday at Chingford, Essex.
"We do not know," he stated, "in what direction it will take.
Since Munich and the destruction of Czechoslovakia Hitler has had so many choices open.
His trouble is which to take first: whether it should be Memel or Danzig whether to stir up the Polish Ukrainians against Poland or the 'Transylvanian' population against Roumania."
"None can tell," Mx: Churchill asserted, "but everything points to an early resumption of Nazi aggression, and no eonncerted resistance is being made against it."
He added that he had never seen such division upon foreign policy in Great Britain in his lifetime. The country, he said, was deeply divided, and it was hampering the whole process of national defence.
The possibility of new German coups is discussed today in the "Daily Telegraph," which says that responsible opinion in London has been for some time reconciled to the probability that Germany will choose her moment to annex Memel.
Those responsible for advising on European developments, however, are said to be less concerned to discuss the fare of Memel than to estimate What successive coups will be attempted, and in what order.
It is recognized, the newspaper continues, that the days of Danzig as a free state and free port guaranteed by the League of Nations have also practically ended.
A more interesting problem, it is felt, is the moment which Germany will choose to press for Polish con-sessions in the corridor, and whether these will precede, follow or coincide with German pressure for Polish concessions in the south.
Broadly, it is anticipated that Germany will push on, with the minimum delay, to extend and consolidate her ascendancy over the Danubian and Balkan areas while stimulating and supporting the resuscitated move for Ukrainian autonomy, an objective which could only be fully realized at great expense to Poland and Soviet Russia.
Strategically, however, it is judged that Germany will be unable to give impressive military support to the Ukrainian autonomy demands until she has fully established her ascenlaney in the middle and eastern Danube area.
London is informed, proceeds the "Telegraph," that German army chiefs have been warned to be ready to support some fresh diplomatic action in February. In these circumstances, the Tunis agitation is being carefully appraised id London Paris.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.