Evening star., 1924-03-02
REVISION OF TREATY
PLEA STIRS EUROPE
Fall of Belgian Cabinet Seen as
Preliminary to New Approach
l. to Problem.
BRUSSELS ROLE DIFFICULT
Must Reconcile Union With Paris
and Agreement With London.
BRUSSELS ROLE DIFFICULT
BY ANDRE TARDIEC.

B.. Radio to The star.
PARIS, March 1.-While Premier
Nacdonald's cabinet makes its labo-
rtous beginning Premier Theunis falls.
And the political situation hardly
seems clearer in Belgium than In
Great Britain.
In both countries there are forces
that neutralize each other and inter-
ests that clash because of the neces-
sity for forming coalitions to main
tain power.
Britains government gives the i'm
preston of being frightened by the
enormity OF its task. Governing the
Tor experienced men without counting
the burden OF carrying labor's own
programs OF reforms besides. as Mr..
Macdonald and his colleagues seem
already to Teali2e.
No Mention OF Levy.
Since they arrived to power they
have not spoken OF Il capital levy nor
naturalization OF mines. That Will
be for later. or perhaps never.
AS for current problems. the pre-
inier speaks with extreme prudence
ii the man in the moon went into the
house Of commons he might think Mr.
Macdonald. with his carefully bal
or at worst, Il liberal. This proves
that power brings responsibility, but
it does not make II any easier foT
those in power to reconcile their op-
portunism Of today with their doc
trinism of yesterday.
Home Secretary Henderson
speech provides an example. Address
ing his electors, he did not haS:tate tC
say the first task was to revise the
treaty of Versailles Fundamentally
Ia. .
horiteS have repeatAl this incesSant-
ly for four years. But il is ernbar-
RAISING because L majority OF Euro
pean countries will not hear Of revi-
sion. Not only France, Belgium ant
Italy, who are interested IN repara.
tions. hut Czechoslovakia. Poland
and others. who owe their very exist
once TO the treaty.
Article of Platform.
premier Macdonald dlsavowed Hen.
ccrSCEs speech in the house OF com
mons. but the question still remains
Revision was one of the first articles
Of the labor platform when II was ir
opposition: The question is, will the
Macdonald government stand by its
principles?
Such q question goes beyond tn.
narrow limits of tho experts com
uittees. concerning the work OF
which rare and vague reports leah
10 Tue press. II Is liOC
new question though rejuvenated ant
accentuated by labor's access tC
power.
For four years there have been TIVE
adverse schools OF European thought
--Aecution and revision
Whit is the use. as the London ant
Paris govcrnht ntS are now doing. oi
playing hide and seek behind purely
technical questions? Some day TIL,
fundamental question must be de-
cided. Mr.. Henderson acted like the
infant terrible. but the roe OF IT,,
infant terrible is to disconcert il!
elders by anticipating their problems
Cabinet Fall Important.
AS this decisive settlement is ap
preached. the fall of the Belgian cab
met is important. The Frauco-Bel
gian customs treaty WAS the occa
ston but it is generally recognized
that the general policy underiay tins
vote. This general policy was the
fruit Of a double compromise betwceT
internal and external policies. Inter.
r8lly the rheunis cabinct. ccmpoS-t
OF Catholics and liberals. could only
adopt middle course hetwe.n these
two extremes.
Externally it had to reconcile unior
with France and agreement Will