Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-31

most OK Europe
was In ruins or In flames. Twenty
million men were in a death grip on
the battlefield and had been dead.
locked for almost four years America
was rushing her military prepa "a tons.
and had. In fact. already landed a vast
Army In France. But also the Ger
rs. on sea and on land. were pre-.
pairing for a final thrust which they
believed land which many of their
enemies fearedl would win the war
before Americas strength could make
itself felt,
Few would have cared to predict in
those dark hours that only 10 years
later the wounds Of war would have
killed. millions more manned and dis
abled. still other millions had died or
lost their health irretrievabIy through
pestileRce and famine. Mines. rail-
roads, factories in every belligereRt
country had been destroyed or d.
veFted TO war purposes and thus
crippled for peaceful production.
Worst Of all. perhaps. spirit of re-
hellion had spread from Russia. troops
were mutinous, workmeB were strik-
ing. Even IL the war could be brought
10 a quick and victorious end. which
seemed unlikely, what hope was there
ton?
Picking up the pieces. cleaning up
the mess" after such an orgy of de-
str iction was an arduous task for the
disgruntled and exhausted peoples of
Europe. The vietors complained that
they we're being cheated of their
spells; the vanuuished iamented that
they were being martyred. Mutual
reeriminations fle'' thick and fast, the
allies quarreled among themselves
hut gradually. after a few years af
fumbling. Europe hogan To 60 to work
lahariously Ia rebuild what had been
DESTROYED. IL Is possible today Ia dis
eern what form the new Europe is
taking,
full.
lsearne and Balance af Power.
Aristids Eriand and Gustav Strese-
! i..ann, as foreign ministers Of the two
principal hslligerents, are the archi-
tects Of this new order Both have
had three almost uninterrupted years
in Office. and while both have their
critics and ineiF enemies in their own
countries. they have enjoyed practi-
eally a tree hand in the development
Of their foreign policy,
This policy. which has been dubbed
the "paliey OF Loearua." from the
Swiss village where il first was shaped,
appears today To have an is principal
enect-if no; its avowed ohiecI-rhe
eveatusl elimination OF Great Britain
an arhiter in continental affairs The
traditional British policy OF the hal
Ance ef power consisted in dividing
the Continent as equally as possible
into two hostile groups, which hat
anced each other as at the ends Of a
Ses.saw. with Britain standing in The
middle and lending her weight TO one
might dictate. Thus, when the cen
trail European group. headed by Ger
many. appeared to be getting too
powerful. Britain swung her weight
to the side % France, rus; as a hun
dred years earlier she had taken the
Prussian side against the f'rancs az
Napoleon. For = short time after the
war IL looked very much as il the
British foreign eftce were prepa ring
10 return TO this system. Ssaia taking
the German side. as being the weak.
er, and thus cerhing the supposed
aim at France 10 establish a ceati-
asntal hegemeny.
Indeed. those who take no s,ock In
the Locarno poltcv today ara con,
Viaced that the traditional British mol,
have a working ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
81 TAR a. Italy is concerned, because
Of Ensla mastery az the sea. en-
which Italy depends for coat and food
Encouraged nv RritalnS benevolent
attitude. Italy takes 4 decidedly proves
alive air toward her aeishbors.
France and Ingoslavia France re.
taliates nv a defensive" allia nee with
Iogasla via -- defensive against Italy.
ut course, because Il is oaiy Via ltatV
that the French and the luSNslsvs can
make contact. and Italy Is their only
conceivable common enemy.
Similarly the French entertain cor
dial relations, eopseeratsd nv similar
defensive treaties, With CEechcSlS,-
vaktA, Poland aud EunAanIa, all Inter
ested, like France. In maintaining the
status QUO, and PARTICULARLY TN pre-,
Wanting any revenge movement by
hunEary, despoilsd ~ her border prov,
lnccS.
Here, then, are two rival gr,aupS--
the British aud lta.,an en- the ere
hand, and the Erench On the other,
leading the chain Of huneF states az
eastcentral Europe Rut they are NJ
unequal strength, and there canaos hs
the slightest question that the Egearh
combination Is Immensely more power
Iul
The answer to this from those who
are sAentscSi shaut l,ecarne, IL that
II ever the Ervneh and thu Italians
ceMs Ca Sgirs, the Geyn,ans win nat
miss such splendid opportunity ~
jump ga Frances hack.
Nut What Ahaut kaS>kS.
hnt this would erinS the rNs~S into
the FRAY, and the inevitable ,nserVsa,
ton IT Soviet Russia against tia