Evening star., 1924-09-07


nal hand to all your coun-
tries. II will give her joy,
/ even among the sadness of
her ruins. if she can help
that divine flower, Peace, to bud.''
When Premier Herriot Of France
stood before the representatives of
1S nations in the league assembly in
Geneva and gave utterance to the
above words. coupled as they were
with his expression that arbitration,
security and disarmament were the
three pillars of peace, he sounded.
definitely and clearly. the tocsin of
settled order and undisturbed advance
for the Old World
When NJ. Herriot accepted the prin-
ciple of arbitration in the adjustment
of international disputes, following
closely the expressed thesis of Pre-
mier Macdonald of England before the
same assembly, he trampled into the
dust the far-fetched. dangerous and
extremely selfish policies of Poincare
and Millerand, leaders of the nation
alistic school of thought in France.
In limiting It disarmament as a cor
rellary to arbitfal processes NJ. Her
riot, in effect, turned his eyes toward
Paris and his enemies and said, Now
do your worst"
When the French Premier declared
that security was essential to all ma
tions and said, I'VE must combine
right with might. We must make
what is mighty, just, and what is
just. mighty" he portrayed Frances
desire for protection against unjust
aggression, but Premier Herriot did
not declare, as many of his predeceS-
sors have declared, that security
should be considered by the French
government ahead of all other equa-
tions and that unless security was
obtained France, in effect, did not
other nations went TO the boy-wows
or not
Policies on New Grounds.
NJ Herriot sanely linked arbitra-
ton and disarmament with protection.
las all other nations have desired to
do. He set Frances international po-
litical policies upon new grounds,
even though he stipulated that the
league, not a specific conference, han
die disarmament. At a stroke ma
tional expediency was relegated for
international veal in those readjust-
ments SO vital in completely ironing
out the difficulties that have arisen
since the World War.
France may be expected to protect
French interest as other nations have
-.
est, if Premier Herriot is to have his
way. will not be along pathways die
tated by those peculiar political the
seS declared SO necessary by Poincare
and Millerand. Where there has been
suspicion and doubt as to French mo-
tives, there will be light and under
standing as long as the French states
man is permitted to decide the courses
of his government.
What is very essential NJ. Herriot's s
utterances insure in the main CO.
operative endeavor by the two great
est powers of Europe, nations in po-
sition to dictate policies-England
and France. They have been a odds
at all times since the war as to the
best methods of applying the peace
and force Germany to capitulate to
the treaty of Versailles. Almost from
the time the guns of the war ceased
belching the governments in London
and Paris, while ostenSibly cooper
ating, have been seeking to impress
their particular, viewpoints on the
continent, and they have even gone
so far as to participate in a silent but
intense struggle for political suprem-
acy. In these maneuverS the French
Ioutstripped the British, for the French
were easily able to impress the small
er nations of the continent with the
continued to maintain standing
army of sufficient proportions to Of
fer guarantees to smaller countries
of military assistance in case of un-
due aggression on the part of old
time enemies during the desired re-
constructive period.
Old Alliance System Maintained.
AS a result Of French efforts there
have been builded up many political
and military alliances with smaller
countries, notably Poland and mem
bers of the little entente. There was
no great departure from the old Sys-
tenn of military alliance, which it
must be agreed was determining
factor in causing the great war. Con-
ditions economically, financially and
socially grew wrose on the continent
with constant frictions over courses
in Germany with France clinging to
the old order under the guiSe of Sc
curity. England at all times op-
posed war, or seeds which might
grow into war, and in many of the
French actions, notably invasion of
the Ruhr, England saw not distant
war but a comparatively early one as
a result of the French government s
apparent readiness to encourage sus-
picion and doubt and cling to poten-
tial military threats.
With the Dawes plan for economic
salvation for Germany and effective
means of collecting reparations pay
ments in effect, the powers through
the League of Nations have, as l tore
cast some time back, turned to the
question of disarmament and all kim
dred considerations. In the third
session of the league assembly a com
mittee was appointed to consider the
question of armament reduction and
control. That committee is ready to
make a report, but Premier Mac
Donald in his opening address to the
league during the week just past
made it plain that the time is not
quite ripe for presentation of any
definite scheme of armament control.