Evening star., 1927-10-16
DISARMAMENT FAILURE
LAID TO BRITISH POLICY
European Diplomats Reported to Have
Placed Blame on England for
Collapse of Arms Farley.

is subordinated to great power con-
troll and the influence and efforts OF
the smaller states are nullified.
Inevitably. too. this process makes
Great Britain the leader in that re-
action in Europe which aims to pre-
serve the old Europe. At the moment
all continental liberal parties and
groups are dominated by the convic-
ton that some measure of information
ailsm must replace the old and inten-
sive nationalism of the prewar period,
which produced the catastrophe. All
these liberal elements, too, French
and German alike, see in the League
the single instrument to express the
internationalism which is the single
salvation for the continent.
Hostile to League.
On the other hand, the Nationalists.
defenders of the old order, the Poin-
car1sts In France, the monarchists in
Germany. the Fascists in Italy, are
nostlle to the League, opposed to dis
armament, believe only in the exclu.
sive alliances of the older period. re.
main convinced that force alone in
sures security and that International
ism Is not only a delusion but a
menace: And, as consequence, Brit
lsh policy, not necessarily by design
Dut in fact, serves the purpose of all
these reactionary groups in Europe.
Given the facts in the British situa.
ton, 1t is clear that whether Britain
were ruled by Tory or Labor govern
ment, there could be little difference in
the actual policy pursued in Europe
and expressed in Geneva, Macdonald.
TO be sure, gave a reluctant and con.
dit1onal assent to the protocol, but IL
is hardly to be doubted that ParIia-
nent would have refused to accept this
commitment, even had the Labor gov.
ernment not fallen soon after the
Assembly of 1924.
In very real sense, Great Britain
IN foreign policy has come to play the
role OF Austria after the Napoleonic
IaIi. Just as Austria, under the able
guidance of Metternich, blocked all
rperal ana popular movements in
Europe until the revolution in 1S4s,
Britain under the far less skillfuI and
astute direction of Sir Austen is doino-
the same thing. And, as the Holy
Alliance was the instrument of re.
actlon a century ago, so the Ieaeue
would be in the Tory conception a
similar means to restrain and repress
idsas ana efforts as dangerous to
British interests as post. .Napoleonic
liberalism was to Austrian.
British policy is moved by another
consideration. For Britain, bolsheyisrn
mas Deen dangerous foe, both in do
mestlc affairs, where it certainly con.
trlDuted to the general strike, and in
loreign affairs, where its part in the
Chinese revolution was not onIv large
but terribly costly to Britain. On fhe
other hand. despite all the thunders
or the conservative elements. boIshe.
Vlsm Is no longer viewed with alarm
on the Continent. 1t has become
rather the useful weapon bv which
the conservative and reactionarv eIa.
ments can frighten their electorates
But this situation again makes a Torv
government in Britain the natural aIIv
OF the conservative and reactionarv
forces on the continent.
Blame British Policy.
In its war with bolsheyism the TORY
government has not hesitated to pur.
SHase Italian support by Albanian
hints winch have reused European an
pEenenslon and displayed small regard
Tor League of Nations principles. In
the same way. when the MosuI dis.
pute with Turkey was going forward
tnere was more than a suggestion that
Lonoon gave Rome veiled notification
lnat an Italian adventure in AnatoIia
nllgnt receive British approval. And
~ !he case OF Italian action in All.
moment European peace was comnro.
missed. Ioiipio-
Ihus, from one end of the continent
TO the other, there exists the settles
conVlctlon that the organization of
european peace is paralyzed by Brit.
iSh policy both within and without
the League; that. while for domestic
pohtlcal reasons British ministers nav
up service to the League, British moi.
icy aims at keeping the League in a
subordinate position, using its moral
SITUATION as cover, but CONDUCTING
brltisn affairs on the old pre.war
nhes. And, as result, the revolt of
the small powers in Europe against
thls British policy and the universal
remuneration of British policy within
ene league We're the outstanding cir.
cumstances of the Assembly.
Americans. certainly, have little rea,
basis for criticism of the underlving
British conviction. The essential dis.
tlnction lies in the fact that we vuers
able to quit the league. in which wa
should have been, like the British. an
inevitable opponent of continental
views and policies. Britain. by con.
trast, must stay in the League he.
cause or Its European front, and must
?ust as certainly oppose continental
IDEAS because of its non-European
dominions.
Deadlock Is Complete.
Viewed effectively, nothing sue.
gests that Britain will accept cont.
mental views or that the continent
permanently yield to British repres.
sion. But all solution rests upon the
arrival of other control politically in
europe and in England. Today the
deadlock is complete and the conse.
quences are revealed in the hopeless
paralysis OF all League efforts at dis.
While British power prevails ponr.
lar resentment all over the continent
increases, and this resentment NAV
exercise a potent intiu.
ence upon the elections which are to
come next year and at which the real
issue of conciliation or catastrophe IN
europe may well be determined.
fCopyright. 1927