The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-04-21
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Continued Hostility Is Dangerous.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.)
Copyright 1922.
WASHINGTON. April 21.-Although
on the surface the American govern
ment gives the impression that the Rus
so-German treaty has no particular
meaning to the United States, the truth
is the wish is father to the thought.
officials hope it has no meaning. They
would be as disturbed as Europeans if it
turned out that the RussoGerman pact
meant a political upheaval in Europe
and a consequent delay of reconstruc-
ton Anything which makes the world
horizon cloudy has its reflex here, try
as officials may sometimes to conceal
their concern.
But the concensus of opinion here is
that when all is said and done. the Rus
so-German pact will literally be found
to have very little meaning, that it can
be source of disturbance only If the
other governments choose to pursue
policy which drives Germany and Rus
Sia into each others arms and makes
them interpret their treaty more or less
as an offensive and defensive alliance.
On the subject of concluding separate
| treaties without consulting the other
! powers, very little is said i'll Washing
| ton. for the United States negotiated a
| separate treaty with Germany and no
/ official there disclosed whether the al
/ lies had any advance copies of 1t. In
! fact, the evidence has been all the
other way-that the treaty was made
1 theory that Germany and the United
! States could do rs they pleased. This
1 precedent is cited here today as justif-
cation for a German treaty with Rus
| STA. another former member of the allied
group.
! Flaws Are Plenty.
The burden of thought here is that
| the allied powers can find plenty OF
flaws in the German-Russian pact.
| plenty of grounds for charging viola
ton of the spirit of the Versailles pact
| and they can at a later day insist that
admission of Russia and Germany to
| the league of nations cannot be per
| mitted without an agreement on the part
of Russia or Germany TO renOunce the
new treaty. The council of the league
has the power to interpret whether a
treaty is consistent or inconsistent with
the covenant of the league and it would
! be a simple matter for the council to
find the Russo-German pact as coming
within that category
/
| tation or use of the RuSso-German
treaty which is at the bottom of the
problem at this time The officials of
the United States government whose
specific responsibility it is to watch the
Genoa proceedings are inclined to at
tribute much more Importance to the re-
suits which the RussO-German pact will
precipitate rather than substance of the
pact itself. In other words. if the pact
makes the allied group realize that they
cannot invite Russia and Germany into
their councils. as equals and really make
private arrangements TO those two coun-
tries, if the treaty makes France appre
ciate that a permanent policy of hostil-
ity to Germany means only a RuSSo-Ger.
man alliance and further trouble in
Europe the cause of economic recon
struction will be materially assisted
What the American government hopes
is that out of all the confusion will come
together policy in European affairs
Otherwise the factions and alliances and
group arrangements viii keep alive the
flames of human hatred and the torches
of national rivalry.
Climax for Lloyd George.
On Lloyd George, the British prime
minister. his skill and resourcefulness
: many an American official is counting
: us the climax of his career. And 1t Il
also the crisis as between system OF
alliances. a return to the balance OF
power idea or the making of European
concert in which all powers, large anc
small stand as sovereignS on an equa
footing. Woodrow Wilson fought for the
league of nations on the ground that the
alternative was the system of balances
and alliances. His prophecy is almost
! come true. America has encouraged the
idea of Horsepower treaty by agreeing
to a pact in the Pacific but it is stoutly
denied that any military obligation Turk:
in the treaty. Leaving America out, il
still remains for Europe to decide
whether the tendency of the last i.
months toward little ententes and tri
partite treaties will mean a permanent
system of military balances in Europe
! or whether Lloyd George can apply th'
league idea to the whole of Europe anC
coat all the treaties. including the Rus
so-German pact, with a greater agree
ment for cooperation that supersede'
all previous pacts and .payes the way
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