Evening star., 1926-02-07

Continued from First Page)
or a navy larger than it regards eS-
sential to it's security. Therefore no
nation is going TO reduce its estab-
liShment save as il receives aSSur-
anceS of security in another form.
For example, the allies agreed under
the treaty of Versailles to evacuate
the Cologne zone in January of last
year, provided Germany complied
with the various provisions of the
treaty. But when January came
France had not Yet received any guar
antee OF French security from Brit
ain, therefore nothing was easier
than TO find a basis for prolonging
the occupation in the alleged and per
haps real German failures, which
We're nevertheless not vital.
Modified by Circumstances.
When, however. the question of
French security had been settled by
the LoCarnO pact, then. of sudden,
French opposition to evacuation van
ished. No one will maintain that there
was anything but IL superficial Ger
man compliance with allied demands
under the treaty. But what had hap
pened was that the French view had
been modified by wholly new set of
circumstances. Before the Locarno
pact was made and ratified the press
of the world had been filled with the
angry debate over whether German
evasions warranted allied refusal to
evacuate But the debate ended auto
matically when the matter OF french
security was disposed of.
All the solemn discussions OF the
moral principles involved, all the
equally solemn discussions of the prac-
tical question of fact with respect OF
German eyasions were just so much
waste motion. The truth was that
France would not consent to leave the
Rhine barrier until she had assurances
of security which seemed to her ade-
Uuate. But We, on our side OF the Al
lantic. accepted either the French
thesis that the Germans were guilty
Of grave faults or the German thesis
that the allies were guilty of gross
bad faith just as if these We're real
issues involved.
Take one more example, the notori-
GUS Upper Silesia plebiscite. Here was
on the face of it, Il mere question OF
principle There was an election pre-
sCribed by the treaty, and in that cleo
ton 60 per cent of the people voted
for Germany and 40 for Poland. But
in the southern end Of the pleblSclte
area the Poles had a majority, While
the treaty said that the ultimate diVl-
sion should be made with regard to
the voting in the various localities. In
SleSvig the same principle had Deen
invoked by dividing the plebisc1te area
into two districts, one of which voted
for Denmark and the other for Ger
many.
Long War in Press.
But at this precise moment Britain
and France were at odds all over the
world Poland was an ally OF france,
and France was therefore eager 10
increase Poland'S area and her eco
nonic resources. Britain was opposed.
II was not a case elther With the
French or the British of any peculiar
concern for the Germans or Poles' re-
snectiveIv. 1t was a collision or ma
tional interests. But the British and
French press carried on a long war
each alleging every form OF injustice
in the course of the other
Finally to avoid a break the League
of Nations was called in and 1t TOOK
the French view in large part. Poland
got the best of the minerallZed ana III
dustrialiZed districts, in Whlch, II
should be noted, the Poles had cast a
majority of the votes. But not even
the decision OF the league. which was
inevitable, satisfied the British, VINO
denounced the league because 1t had
decided for the ally of France.
Yet at no long time in the future
Lloyd George, who had contested the
Polish rights to Upper Silesia, bitter
ly, was supporting the Greek aspira-
tions in Asia Minor, which certainly
were no better founded. while the
French and the Italians We're support
ing the Turks. Again there was no
question of devotion to abstract prin-
cfples, for the British in Asia Minor
were certainly following the line OF
the French in Poland-that is, they
were supporting a useful ally, While
the French and the Italians were sup
porting the Turks for precisely the
reason the British had supported the
Germans in l<ilcsia.
Little Real Change.
Now, despite the advent OF the
''spirit of LoCarno," there has been
i++In nI, in, N