Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
By STEPHANE LAUZANNE,


than the humor.
Geneva" he said recently. rs The
real Temple of Peace. First. there i:
no place in the world where it is easier
to meet the people with whom you have
to make peace. Then there is no Other
place where there reigns such an at
mosphere of good will and Cancellation
AS soon as you reach the city the very
air you breathe is full of peace
Is NJ. BRAND right? We shall see
that later on. But the striking fact
Is that the people of France almost
completely share the opinion of their
foreign secretary AS regards the
League Of Nations. the people of France
have undergone a curious evolution
First of all. they were hostile. then
ironical, then skeptical. then indiffer-
ent.
Place Their Hopes.
1t would be excessive to say that they
are enthusiastic today. but they believe
In the League and have placed their
hopes on 1t. They believe that Geneva
Is If not the Temple of Peace. at least
the observatory from which the clouds
which threaten peace can best be per-
ceived. They also believe that, at pres
ent. it is the one place in the world
where one stands the best chance of
warding OF the storm these clouds are
likely to cause should they break.
But this does not prevent the people
OF France from seeing perfectly well the
rlfts which are in the building -whether
u be called temple or an observatory.
The first rift is essentially human.
The atmosphere of good Will and con-
citation on which M. BRAND complac-
entity insists Is very peculiar one. It
depends on the personal relations of
the statesmen. who know each other
and who are accustomed to discuss
questions of the day with one another,
much more than on the idealistic as
pirations Of the nations which meet
there It Is much more the atmosphere
OF club than that of a church. Ger
many would perhaps not mind hurting
France, but Herr Stresemann does not
want to displease NJ BRAND. Italy
mlstrusts Jugoslavia. but Signor Scia-
LOLA has a great regard for his Serbian
colleague, Mr.. Marinkovitch. Finally.
the nations benefit by the good social
relations of their representatives.
THIS was as apparent as the sun in
the sky at the last dramatic meeting.
vnen Poland and Lithuania stood face
70 face. The council was almost unan-
tnously for Poland against Lithuania.
II verdict had been rendered on the
merits OF the case. Lithuania would
have been condemned. But NJ. VALDEZ
maras. the Lithuanian spokesman. very
cleverly struck personal note:
II" he said, you make an unspar-
ing procurement against my country.
] snail be politically and physically lost.
You surely cannot desire my ruin and
my death"
Change Positions.
OF course. no one could possibly de-
sire such a terrible misfortune as the
lynch1ng OF N. Valdemaras by his fell
low citizens. The men who were seat
&c around the council table desired it
so much the less as they, too, value
their popularity in their own countries
and their own posts in their govern
ments. They put themselves all the
more IN ~. Valdemaras' place, as they
feared to find themselves some day in
the same position as he. And that Is
the reason why they pronounced a
judgment which suited neither the a!-
fairs Of Poland nor those Of Lithuan,a
but which saved NJ. .Valdemaras' posi-
ton. II is not the fraternity of the
nations which triumphed on this occa-
SION: 1t Is the fraternity Of the prime
ministers
Another rift derivates from the first
one. namely. that If cordially rules
On the inside OF the building. there
Is q lack OF authority Not once, In
the last five or six years, has the
League given an order. Not even once
has IL pronounced verdict It is salts
TED IN giving advices and In patching
up compromises By way OF give and
take
Marehai Pilsudgki Of Poland. when
he came 70 Geneva 10 the dramatic
meeting I have just described. had no
doubt whatsoever but that the council
would agree with him. and yet he was
nevertheless prepared TO hear the
council tell him that he was wrong
He vas dumfounded TO hear the co,In
Gil discussing well balanced formulas
for hours, during which no one was
either right or wrong. No doubt the
the most powerful OF human motive
powers. Pride has 10 be taken inn
great confederation, but authority
should also be imposed A supreme
court which would be preoccupied In
satisfying every one would be bu. a
poor court Of justice. In any case. j.
would be court before which the
worst culprits could appear withou,
shy apprehension.
Serious Fissure.
Finally. there is a third rift Of ifs
sure. and this Is the most serious one
because no one tries 10 stop Il,
The religion of peace.'' said n
BRAND the last time he cane back
from Geneva, lis the one which counts
the greatest number 81 w0fGhiperS IL
the present time Their nunlbe,
Is daily Increasing"
He could rightly have added that
this religion never couated more bril-
liant ceremonies than In the year 1927
sad that never did It's high priests dis.
play greater eIoQuence. And IL Is yer:
web thua Better a thousand times
the religion of peace than the religion
81 war But in ali religions there Is Z
esyarine which demands the ceSciop
n.er.t Of the spirit u sacrifice. ana IA
teilglon III peace Wlii ke fea!l5 uiuHi
t,nsnt only when IL VIII have incuI
ss,ec ne creed Of zbf3egaliDn in all ~
iSeileFets
H. This respect IL sufttces u recbl!ec
What 'srVrrec last year,
A. Genera three countries aAStmolef
Iaal Summer So England. the Ct'Nf
tsabs enc japan. Between them u'ef'
&as no motive for quarrel, hatsed u
fear. They had the desire W come
b mutual urdersts s3oiug On a cleaTl'
Gej1mitzc territory~~ti4e question deai
with the reduction % their naval eM
perdltufes The atmosphere surround
ing them was essentially All atniosphef'
a. pesG1 AZ far az human reason
s9lld fgEesee. no subject for coHfllc
soiylc ~ fofeneen which might even
iYaliy csU them W 60 against on
si.p3her Therefore they started talk
fn1 and DISCUSSING freely
Bat 81 ~ orce the die lpetir becaIn'
t,3ore animated thF c0Hti0sei : nor,
butter From c1ftesscce ~ opinion /
rassed " coutrsht1tlon, from contra
oiet.on W sus ,,.eion from suspicion y
istaoacb AID now they were ~
ionger u. sccofd, but. what Was eyeI
more serious. they felt tnst they woIl
pes maps never agree againl What VIA
h tia. arose between them? Whs