Europe Facing Gravest Crisis Great Britain Strives to Avert War as Result of Hitler's Coup in Austria -Despite Reactions Major Conflict Held Remote By Webb Miller (Copyright 1938 London, March 12 today its gravest diplomatic July, 1914, which preceded lightning coup in Austria, in Britain and France, shook greatest war scare since the Ar-*mistice. Cabinets and foreign office staffs in Great Britain, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Germany and other countries worked at high tension most of the night. The opinion was that Great Britain, which is the key nation, would prevent war. Throughout western and middie Europe governments tried to gauge the far-reaching repercussions of Hitler's mailed-fist smashing of Austria's independence. barring unforeseen developments observers here believed that despite the gravity of the situation, the danger that it might result in major war was remote. The chief reason for this confidence is the certainty that neither England nor France will gO to war to prevent Germany absorbing Austria and that Premier Benito Mussolini, although in most embarrassing position, has declared his neutrality in the Austrian crisis. But observers fear that unless the situation is handled with the utmost caution, Hitler's nazification of Austria may hasten the eventual European upheaval, By United Press) (U.P)-Europe, panic-stricken, faced crisis since the black days of the World war. Adolf Hitler's open and bold defiance of Great Europe's chancelleries with the British Cabinet Ponders Crisis London, March 12 (AP)-The British cabinet met today to face the cold fact that England's "paper protests" had been trampled under the marching feet of Hitler's army in Austria and might meet the same fate with respect to Czechoslovakia. It was all. too clear that Great Britain's words of protest came far too late to save Austria from nazi domination and that the ministers must make up their minds now whether to forge a solid front with France and Czechoslovakia to prevent the same kind of a march to the east. Furious government opposition demanded that Chamberlain answer the question of Czechoslovakia's future and answer quickly. Chamberlain arranged to confer immediately with the French and Czechoslovakian ambassadors about their mutual interest. Minister