Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1939, Blaðsíða 376

3 66
LE NORD
in historical tradition and in an un-
animous conviction of what serves
Danish interests best and we feel
quite sure that we are able to judge
those interests more adequately
than Mr. Joesten.
That prominent British publicists
luckily have a clearer conception
of this decisive fact is proved by
the sharp criticism, which Mr.
Joesten’s book has received from
Mr. T. G. Barman, the well-known
correspondent of “The Times”,
whom we quote:
“I can only say that any man
who writes a book on the as-
sumption that these things are pos-
sible (i. e. the adherence of Den-
mark to an anti-German coalition)
has not even begun to scratch the
surface of Danish mentality. And
not only Danisb mentality, but
small-Power mentality. Why did
Belgium break away from the
French alliance system? Why is
Holland so unwilling to accept
either a German or a British gua-
rantee of her territorial integrity?
Why did the Czecho-Slovak experi-
ment end in disaster? The answer
to the first two questions is that
neither of these two countries wants
to be mixed up in a struggle be-
tween the Great Powers — neither
wants to take sides. Czecho-Slo-
vakia tried to do so — with dis-
astrous results. Neither Denmark
nor any of the Scandinavian States
is going to take sides if it can pos-
sibly be avoided — Denmark in
particular, because her proximity to
Germany and her dependence upon
the German market, make her espe-
cially vulnerable. Mr. Joesten will
no doubt say that it cannot be
avoided. But the Danish Govern-
ment and the Danish people are
better qualified to answer that
question than Mr. Joesten. After
all, the first and paramount duty
of the Danish Government is to
keep their country out of war —
at almost any price; and the fact
that Denmark kept out of the Great
War is, in spite of Mr. Joesten’s
contemptuous reference to good
luck, a vindication of Danish neu-
trality policy.”
Notwithstanding all opposite as-
sertions of Mr. Joesten it ought to be
emphasized that the political events
which occurred in Germany since
1933 have involved no alteration
or change in principles as regards
the relations between Denmark and
the Reich. And this for the mere
reason that those relations are in
no way dependent on the changing
character of the internal regime, but
are founded upon permanent and
invariable geographical and geopoli-
tical considerations. Since the esta-
blishment in 1871 of the German
Reich, Denmark’s position has been
determined by the fact that this
mighty state created by Bismarck is
the neighbour of our country. In all
controversies between the Great
Powers, and especially in such con-
troversies that affect important
German interests, an absolute neu-
trality has ever since been the
fundamental basis of Danish foreign
policy under all governments, ir*
respective of political party. It has
never been and could never have
been otherwise. If Mr. Joesten had