Evening star., 1925-10-04

no less dangerous to the peace Of the
world. All Germany's new frontiers
como Immediately into discussion and
the principal countries are by no
means agreed on this important as
pect.
The French do not wish to sign a
Rhtneland pact which will lessen the
importance OF their alliances with the
Poles and Czechs.
will guarantee Rhinela nd neutrality
without creating a barrier which will
make 1t impossible for France to stand
by her allies? How franc the pact
80 1t will not look to the French as
II they were hemmed in between the
Rhine and the Atlantic, with Ger.
many and Russia free to crush all
the smaller states and set up empires
even more powerful than before? The
French would do it by a series OF
arbitration treaties between Germany
and its eastern and southern neigh.
bors which would in effect mean the
the frontiers established for Germa ny
by the treaty Of Versailles. AS all OF
Germany dreams OF changing those
frontiers some day, there is such a
divergence of views on one of the
essentials of the pact that II car
only be solved by mutual compromise
and renunciation.
The French insist the Germans
must agree to the Polish frontiers and
the Polish corridor or the French can
not renounce the right to go TO the
aid OF their allies In the event OF
Germany trying to rectify these from
tiers by force OF arms. And to give
the right to the French to go to the
aid OF their allies there must be pro
vision in the pact which would in d
particular case allow the passage OF
armies across the Rhine.
The British are interested only ir
the Rhine. They do not care whether
the eastern frontiers Of Germany re
main where they are or are changed
at some future time. Naturally the
British hope they may be changed
amicably II changed. but if they are
forcibly changed the British wish &c
be sure that does not upset things or
the Rhine, does not drag in France
and hence Britain, into a genera
European war.
The Germans do not visualize any
such war. but they do hope somehow
some day, that their frontiers ir
Silesia and Posnania will be rather tc
the east, and as far as the Polish
corridor there Is no living German
from Junker to pacifist, who accepts
the idea Of that remaining there for
ever.
1t looks. however. as If this issue
might be partly avoided. The Czechs
have already talked over an arbitra
ton treaty in Berlin. With the Poles
however, 1t is not so simple. They
know perfectly we'll that the German,
do not intend 70 allow the Polish cor
ridor to stand forever. They hope fol
security to prevent the Germans from
getting rid Of 1t by forca of arms
They mean to see to it that the
French are not hemmed in SO they
cannot fall on the Germans from the
Rhine.
Would Bar Poles.
The Germans would like TO see nc
Poles or Czechs at Lacarno. anc
would talk with them on another oc
casion. But the French will have
them there, either in the flesh to ne
gotiate Simultaneous arbitration
treaties with Germany, or in the minG
OF BRAND as he negotiates.
Equally important are the arbitra
ton treaties. The French follow the
line of thought of the Geneva proto
col. Everything must be arbitrated
they hold. and If any nation crosses a
frontier 1t is an aggressor. and the
others must fall upon it. The French
ask, however, that there be NOTHING
in the Rhineland pact to hem them ir
II some nation, Germany for instance
or Russia. for that matter. attack.
their Eastern allies.
On this point the French and Ger
mans are Numerically opposed. eacf
for a special reason. The French in
sist upon an open road to Poland: tn.
Germans insist no armies shall eros!
Germany. The British are for throw
ing the whole question into the coun
| Gil Of the league to decide when occa
sion arises.