Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28
ARMS FARLEY UNHEALTHY
FROM BRITISH VIEWPOINT
Coming of America Will Bring Gains
Economically, But Disarmament Is
Too Far Off to Awaken Interest.

| Europe is that Locarno has served TO
make clear that there is now no dan.
ger of war incident to ornaments, and
it has put British diplomacy in COM
plete control of the European situa-
ton, save with respect to Russia.
| What British policy aims at is not
| the disarmament of Europe but the
| construction of a European comb1na-
ton against Russia, which has become
and will remain the great menace to
British interests in Asia until some
adjustment with Russia comes about.
| Such armies as exist in Europe,
notably the French, the Polish, the
Rumanian and the Italian, no longer
| constitute the smallest danger to
European peace or British interests.
On the contrary, all of these might
easily, collectively or more probably
separately, prove excessively useful to
| British interests. While POincare
aimed AT establishing French control
| in Europe and the supremacy of
| French policy. Britain bitterly opposed
France and vigorously attacked French
militia rism." This was because the
French army was the basis of a
policy which the British regarded as
inimical to their interests.
But Poincare has gone, French pol
icy has changed, and BRAND and
Chamberlain have become insepara-
BILE comrades. Thus the French army
| becomes not a menace to Britain but
| a means for giving new power to
Anglo French decisions, which are and
will continue to be made in utmost
agreement Actually the British navy
and the French army have become
joint instruments for enforcing joint
| policies, and when the British more
-.
reduction of land armies the French
reply with polite suggestions about
the reduction of marine strength. But
neither will make any real reduction
now in response to outside demand,
and neither will, in the last analysis
push the question against the other.
Europe Disinterested.
1t is not an exaggeration to say
that there is no real disarmament
question in Europe and that our par
tlclpation In the Geneva conference is
based upon total misrepresentation of
the facts of the situation. We are
apparently coming back to Europe
/ With the idea that we can in some
mysterious fashion contribute to bring
ing about a new measure of disarma-
ment thing intensely desired by the
! European nations and governments.
! But precisely because the European
government and peoples no longer feel
! that there is any present danger of
War-that is, of any collision of armed
! forces-they are not much interested
| in the question of disarmament.
The rather brutal truth is that while
there Is absolutely no enthusiasm
over, our coming to Geneva, while We
are as unpopular as in the critical
period Of the war when we remained
still neutral. there is the feeling that
our return may well offer chance
to use our presence for certain def
mite European ends and exploit our
enthusiasm with respect TO disarma-
ment. to enlist new loans and to OBJ
[ tain fresh aid. To do this it may be
necessary to humor our interest in
disarmament. but disarmament is not
going to be the issue in Europe this
year or next; and while there will be
enormous discussion, in no small
mea sure to preserve appearance so
far as we are concerned, no sensible
observer expects that even a small
sized mouse will be brought forth by
the mountain of discussion.
While Europe dreaded a new war,
while Germany feared French attack,
while France feared German aggres-
sion. while Britain resented and even
! feared Poincarist France, disarma
ment was a great question. But now.
until YOU get to the east and south
east of Europe, no one fears any ag-
gression. Everybody accepts the no
ton that for 10 years, mayhap for
90. Europe is going to have peace
if not of understanding, at least of
necessity. Thus the only people
actually and vitality interested in dis
armament are the Germans, who can
for the present only improve their
comparative situation by reducing the
armies of their neighbors. since they
cannot legally increase their armies.
Situation Economic
The European situation is almost
exclusively economic and in the stu
alton the American debts serve as a
isis of union between all the debtors
save Germany. And presently all the
European creditors on repara lions ac-
count will succeed in impressing the
Germans with the fact that repara-
tons are only collected for the pur-
pose of paying the United States
From one end of Europe to the other
our policy with respect of debts is
reprobated. and despite all the super
fetal denials the truth is that we are
disliked and resented from Plymouth
to Prague.
But we have the money Europe
needs and European recovery will be
FASTENED or delayed as we lend or but
ton up our pockets. Our return. so
far as there is a return, will not be
greeted with anything like the en-
thusiasm which welcomed Mr.. Wilson
in 1918, much less that which hailed
our entrance into the war nine years
ago. Europe Is not looking to Amer
lea for leadership, for suggestion. for
ANYTHING save the capital essential to
European recovery. More or less in
degroe but pretty uniformly in fact
we are Shylock.
Whenever, as in the ca Sc of rubber,
, there is the appearance OF European
triumph at our expense there is a
European rejoicing, and no idea can
be as popular as that of Uncle Sam
being made to part with some of his
wealth, which seems TO Europe beyond
meas sure At least in England the in
| dividual American has nothing to com
plain about on the score of courtesy,
| friendlineSS and the like. But no
American can fail to perceive that col
! lectively and In the abstract Ameri-
cans and the United States are I'M
! popular, dist urbed, and that the most
appreciated jest is that at the expense
| of Uncle Sam.
American Notion Dream.
The current American notion that
now the Iocarno pacts have been
ratified all Europe is ready to disarm
and get together and that the United
States Of Europe is just around the
corner is. of course, utter nonsense.
Europe has agreed that it cannot
! fight, for one, two. perhaps three, dec
AIDES. Great Britain, France and
Germany. through their present gov
ernmental masters, have made and
will continue to make arrangements
based upon this recognition. So far it
! Is perfectly true that there is
change in Europe and the change
promises peace.