Evening star., 1926-04-18

does the European situation
" appear? What are the direc-
tions and developments one
has to look for following what
must be regarded as one of the most
Illuminating episodes In recent Euro
pean political history?
At the outset, it is perhaps neces-
sary to say that while Geneva ended
in fiasco and was marked by certain
rather unpleasant conflicts of national
interests. nothing there occurred
which would for a moment warrant
the conclusion that Europe is in any
thing but a peaceful mood, much less
justify even a remote suspicion that
Geneva difficulties disclosed any new
war as imminent or even remote.
What is true is that on the face of
European relations as mirrored in Ge-
neva, certain changes are indicated.
And the greatest change of all Is, per
haps, in the position of France and
Germany Whether measured by the
| relations between NJ. BRAND on the
one hand and Herr Stresemann on the
other. or by the interchange of ideas
between French and German journal
| lists. or by the sum total of Franco
| German relations of all sorts at
Geneva, there could be no mistaking
| the facts that all those We're conduct
| ed in an atmosphere far removed from
| that of war or of the postwar Ruhr
| time.
Relations Cost Setback.
! Geneva at one time indicated the
| enormous improvement which Is TAX
! ing place in Franco-German relations
and the permanent peril which still
! menaCes them. 1t was not any direct
| Franco-German circumstance which
precipitated the struggle which opened
! the Geneva conference. On the con-
trary. the single issue was that of
| the admission Of Poland together wit h
Germany and, in the first phase, the
admission to permanent station. thus
! involving the recog milton of Poland as
! a great power.
France, suffering from a certain re.
action from LoCarno and always con.
scious of the disproportion between
French and German numbers, ap-
peared at Geneva to ask for her east.
ern ally certain advantages. She iden-
titled herself with Poland because of
her need of Polish military strength In
case of a new German war. And in
| doing this she again made herself a
party to the bitterest postwar strug
gle in Europe, that between Poland
and Germany. which turns on the
question of the DanZig corridor and
Upper Silesia.
But this whole episode brought out
in clear relief what must he for the
French a very disturbing fact. No
only did the Polish candidacy end ir
failure. a fact in the last analysis I,
be ascribed to the general veto o
Brazil. but the entire proceedings dis
closed that Poland had not in th'
League. that is, among the Europea
I f,.;n &,
supporting Poland France had wea X
ened her situation with respect of th'
little entente.
, Poland Burden or Benefit?
At the close of the Geneva affai
the question was put squarely up Il
. all Frenchmen: Is Poland a burden o
a benefit? Had the question of elect
ing Poland to the council of tn,
League of Nations been referred Il
the assembly. it is exceeding doubtful
if Poland would have had a vote out
side of the French and Italian, and i
: is certain that Poland would have beel
: defeated by a large majority.
From first to last. the French actor
in insisting that Poland have a sea
in the council concomitantly witt
Germany had these consequences
FrancoGerman relations, which ha'
been improving ever since Locarnc
were temporarily embittered. Franco
: British relations were compromised
because of the violent and almos
una nimous protest of the British pres
against the Polish proposal. Finally
in asking CzeChOslovakia to resign il
favor of Pola nd. France reused tn
resentment of the whole little er
tente, which rega rded Benes' seat a
1 balancing n hnr
. tie entente power.
At the close of the Geneva meetinj
France finds herself in an excessively
. unlucky position. Her campaign fo
Poland failed rather ignominiously
and there is little real chance that 1
can be revived. Germany can nov
stand her ground successfully with tn
support of most of the league and o
most of the public sentiment of Flu
rope. and resist the efforts of Franc
to put Poland on the council. In real
ity. Germany will have to do nothing
because the objections outside of Ger
many are obviously sufficient.
Little Entente Changed.
Meantime, the little entente. whicl
was one of the main elements Il
French policy. has undergone a.
! enormous change. In conception tn
little entente and Poland were to b.
combined with France to guarantee
the status quo in Europe. to maintain
the frontiers of all and to proven
any German effort to regain lost terri
tory or realize adjourned aspirations
But today the little entente ha
ceased to have a French orientatior
at least so far as Jugoslavia ant
Rumania are concerned. 1t ha
changed from the French to tn
Italian camp.
The French support of Poland a
the expense of the little entente, tn
willingness to replace Czechoslovaki;
with Poland was perhaps the las
straw, but. even before this. JugC
slavia and Rumania had made treatie
in Rome. 1t is true that at tn