Evening star., 1927-11-27
BR|T|SHERS SEEK
VILLAIN OF PARLEY
Sir Austen Chamberlain De-
tends Nations Policy at
Arms Conference.
BY \. G.. GARDINER.
By Radio to The Star.

the villain or the piece at Inc GENEVA
naval conference continues to he the
chief subject of political controversy
In England.
Following NiScount Cccils denuncia-
ton of the British governments share
In the responsibility, Ramsay MacDon-
aid. the Labor Party leader. attacked
the government Thursday as the prln-
cipal author of the fiasco. In this he
went beyond the position taken by Wis
count Cecil, who, while primarily con-
cerned with the misdeeds of his own
government, considers the share of the
United States in the result no less rep
rehensible.
Chamberlain Defends Course.
Sir Austen Chamberlain admitted
the lack OF preliminary exploration Of
the subject. but defended that course
or the ground that to initiate such dis
cuSsion would have conveyed the I'M
preston of unwillinsness to accept
President CooldSe's invitation.
1t is generally agreed that on the
facts Mr.. Chamberlain made an ef-
fective defense. but on the broader
question of the government s attitude
toward disarmament. public opinion
continues critical and dsquietcd. This
feeling was somewhat modified by the
formal announcement of First Lord
of the Admiralty BridCeman in the
House of Commons Wednesday that
the government had decided to
abandon construction Of two cruisers
this year.
This is taken to mean that the cabl-
net has been shaken by two things:
Niscount Cecil's detection and indict-
ment. and the remarkable change
which has come over the popular press
in regard to expenditures on arma-
ments. Practically all the newspapers
now are fiercely anti-military and are
backing Lloyd George in his denunci-
alton of swollen ornaments in Europe
and the failure of the British govern
ment to give the continent the lead
in the direction of disarmament and
fulfillment of the undertaking of the
Versailles treaty that disarmament of
Germany should be prelude to the
disarmament of Germany's enemies.
Furious Dispute Rages.
a furious dispute on the subject is
raging between Lloyd George and
Worthington Evans, war minister.
Lloyd George estimates the potential
armies of Europe at 10.000,00o men.
while Mr.. Evans retorts that the en-
rolled armies total only $500. 600.
Criticism of the government policy
turns largely upon its failure to sign
the optional clause in the League of
Nations covenant and to propose
treaty outlawing war with America.
On the first point Mr.. Chamber lain
insists the covenant itself provides
ample guarantees and that no coun-
try has given such practical assur-
ances of faith in arbitration as Crest
Britain, from the Alabama case on
ward In regard to a treaty outlawins
war with America. the writer under
stands it is felt that in the present
mood of America anything more from
this side would be liable to be mis-
understood.
The public does not take seriously
the fantastic doing of Big Bill"
Thompson of Chicago, but there is a
feeling that widespread suspicion
exists in the United States with re.
gard TO the supposed propag gandist ac-
tivities of this country in America
and there is no disposition to add fuel
TO that particular nonsense.
Russians to Attend.
All this feverish controversy on
ornaments directs lively interest 10
the meeting next week at Geneva of
the League of Nations preparatory
commission on disarmament. Special
Importance attaches to the meeting
for two reasons-flrst, because of the
appearance of the Russian delegation
with proposal for full and immedi-
ate disarmament. and second. because
of the notification by Germany that
she intends 10 raise the whole prob
lem of disarmament.
The Russian proposal is obviously
impracticable. but Germany's stand
is direct challenge to France. which
hitherto has evaded the disarmament
issue by taking shelter behind the
question of security. The opinion is
general here that the time has pass
ed for that excuse. Either Locarno,
under which Great Britain guarantees
the security of France, is a reality
or it is not. If it is a reality, then
the question of security is settled and
the time has come for this country
to demand fulfillment of the Yer
sailles pledge.
The peace Of Europe cannot rest
on the basis of disarmed central DOW
ers surrounded by nations armed to
the teeth. as France. Poland and Italy
are armed. Popular feeling holds that
England alone can give the lead in
the matter by showing she has no
friends except those who disarm and
no enemies except those who refuse
to disarm.
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