Evening star., 1927-11-29
GENEVA OBSERVERS
SEE HOPE OF PEACE
FOR EUROPE FADING
Nations Turning to Pre-War
Policy of Alliances,
Delegate Says.
DISARMAMENT PARLEY
WILL OPEN TOMORROW
Arrival of Soviet Commissioners Is
Hailed as Marking Epoch in
Continental History.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
GENEVA, November 29.-Euronean
security as a guarantee of peace has
receded and not advanced since the
signature of the Locarno agreements.
In the opinion of delegates and repre-
sentative of several neutral countries
to the conference of the preparatory
commission on disarmament, whlch
opens here tomorrow.
One distinguished statesman went
20 far as to express the opinion to
the correspondent that Europe shows
signs of returning to the old pre-war
policy of the creation of alliances. one
against another. thus augmenting IN
stead of diminishing the risks of
conflicts.
Bitterness Is Noted.
TIE tension in the Baltic. notably
tichtened between Lithuania and
Poland with uncertainty as to the
eventual attitude of Russia and Ger
many. was cited as an indication OF
bitterness left over since the treaty
of Versailles by the creation OF new
states and the allotment of certain
territories to others.
This statesman especially alluded TO
the relations between France and
Italy as furnishing an example OF
post-war nervousness, declaring that
France answered the Italo-Albanian
pact of a few years ago by the recent
conclusion of an accord with Jugo-
slavia. and that Italy has now re-
torted to this by negotiating another
alliance with the government at
Tirana.
1t is learned that the political lead
ers of various so-called neutral coun-
tries hold the view that Italy seeks
either Algeria or Tunis in order to
permit an outlet for her growing
population, in consonance with Pre-
mier Mussolinis belief that Italy's
natural expansion should be Mediter-
mnean. Some statesmen here look
for an effort on the part of italy to
open negotiations with France for
peaceful economic penetration OF
ALGERIA and Tunis,. with increased
rights for Italian emigrants.
Seek Aid of League.
Representatives of several of the
neutral states express the opinion
that with security apparently fall
ing backward, the smaller countries
will naturally turn more and more
to the League of Nations as the
international understa nding, created
publicly through the League, will be
a powerful force for combating the
evils of secret agreements and the
possible alignment of groups. one
against the other.
The appearance of a large Soviet
delegation on the Geneva stage is
regarded in many quarters as one of
the biggest political events in modern
European history, but there is ten
dency. distinctly manifested. not TO
EXPECT too much from this Russian
entry.
Another opinion heard at Geneva
Is that if a disarmament conference
is to await the elaboration Of per-
fected systems of international secur-
ity, reduction in ornaments may be
postponed for a.. disappointingly long
time.
Count Won Bernstorff, former Ger
man Ambassador to the United States
and now German representative at
the League, is understood to have
held a long conversation last nlght
with Maxim Litvinoff. head of the
Soviet delegation. Count Won Bern
storff has expressed firm belief that an
international disarmament conference
based on existing security can be con-
voked at a reasonably early date.
Urges Speedy Solution.
Asked to outline Germany's atti-
tude toward the disarmament COM
mission session, the former ambassa-
dor said:
"We seek a solution which reiter-
etes the reccommenda tons of the 1926
assembly. asking the preparatory com.
mission to hasten the completion OF
technical work and draw up pro-
gram of a conference for limitation
and reduction in ornaments. cores
ponding to existing conditions of re-
gional and general security. That
is perfectly clear and Germany mere
" wants it lived up to-"
IitVnoff is reported to intend to
propose pacts of nonaggression, not
only with nations bordering on Rus
sia. but also with Great Britain and
the United States The Soviet gov
ernment, which recently brought the
Polish Lithuanian dispute to the fore
by dispatching a note of warning tc
Warsaw and a note counseling eau
ton to Kovno, will participate in the
conference as a non-member or the
League The United States is the
only other nonmember participating.
Would Stay Over.
The SOVIET delegation Is cTeulteu III
certain quarters with desiring to stay
here until the League Council meets
December 5, when the Polish-Lithuan
ian dispute will be discussed.
Extraordinary police precautions
are being taken for both the disarma
ment and League Council meetings
Newspaper men have been obliged to
attach photographs to their admission
cards, no automobiles are allowed Il
park in the League courtyard, and de
tectiVes swarm about the Russian
delegation headquarters.
Lithuania's case against Poland il
specifically the alleged miStreatmen
of Lithuanian clergy and the closin;
of Lithuanian schools in the Win;
district. TO this complaint. Premie
Waldemaras of Lithuania, has adde,
another-that Poland seeks to brini
about the overthrow Of the Kovn
government. In support of thes
charges, Waldemaras transmitted t
Sir Eric Drummond, League secre
.ary, a memora ndum containing ex
tracts from Warsaw newspapers
which he claimed showed such inten
tions.
In Kovno the Lithuanian preme
complained bitterly of what he terme'
''intimidatOry and provocative ac
tions" by Poland on the present lin'
OF demarcation, which, he said M
Lithuanian today will dignity by tn
name of frontier.
He declared that the recurrence o
rumors that bands are operating ol
the demarcation line and that th
army is demoralized pointed to a Sc