Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The present allied and German rep
arations conference and the approach
ing Anglo American- naval re-
duction conference are regarded mere
at Washington at this week end as the
hinges on which the door OF interna-
tional politics is turning to disclose q
wholly New World future. The Euro
pean continent, west Of Russia. is seen
moving toward q greater sense OF con-
tinental solidarity with vigorous re-
vival OF the vague idea called the Unit
ed States of Europe. The great naval
powers. Britain and the United States,
with Japan in their wake. are seen
drifting off from the European con.
tinent into. a closer companionship OF
their own in their interrelated over
seas courses.
This gigantic development over
whelmS today in Washington all more
contracted issues like the tariff and
provides the chief immediate preoccu-
patton here of every farsighted political
group. What is seen most specifically
Is that the United States and Britain,
without any alliances. without any in
terchange of political commitments, are
entering upon an era OF mutual for
bearance and Of common consultation
that goes far beyond ell mere counting
Of cruisers and weighing OF guns.
The pivotal characters in the drama.
each playing distinctive part Of his
own, are Philip Snowden. Ramsey Mac
Donald. Herbert Hoover and Henry l..
Stimson.
Objects of Snowden. .
Mr.. Snowden, British chancellor Of
the exchequer, is thought here. TO. be
doing much more. in the reparationS
conference at The Hague than simply
demanding a petty $10000,000 year
of additional income for Britain out OF
the annual payments from Germany.
He is thought to be doing much more
than simply desiring either TO limit the
powers of the new proposed interna-
tional bank or else to fix its location
at London. He is thought here TO be
doing all over again what the immortal
British foreign minister George Can
ming did a hundred years ago in the
period Of holy alliance Immediately
after the .Napoleonic wars. He Is
thought to be saying to Europe:
Britain ceases to be tied to the tail
of the European continental cart and
ceases to be dragged over all the roads
Of continental trails and tribulations at
the expense of the British taxpayer.
Britain resumes being an island"
The intensity Of feeling among British
pCOPIC VII tIlAo POAlt 10 dAuiOOS
deep. 1t gives to Britain a unity Of
sentiment which perhaps 1t has not ex-
perienced at any other moment since the
conclusion OF the great war. A most
distinguished British citizen in letter
to a friend in this country has re-
marked:
Britain is tired of being the drudge
and paying the bills for European quar-
New American Policy.
At the very moment of this British
revulsion from continental complication
came, and comes, the new positive policy
of President Hoover toward American
interests In worldwide peace. This poll
icy Is in two parts, each of which Is
essential to the other One is the vigil
liant activity of the Secretary of State
Stimson in striving to make the prin-
ciples Of the outlawry of war peace pact
effective even on the frontiers of Man.
churia and Siberia. The other is dis
played determination Of the American
Government that the naval problem
existing between Britain and the United
States shall, be solved in the direction
Of an actual reduction Of contemplated
armamenIS.
This Second part Of President Hoo
ver's peace policy could not have been
possible without the first. Conspicuous
attention has been called to this fact
by the writings of Willmot Lewis, the
accomplished British correspondent in
Washington of the London Times and
profound student of Anglo-American
diplomacy. If Washington were to re-
main inert in the cause of worldwide
peace, London's dependence upon q
colossal feet would remain undimin-
ished. In fact, after Mr.. Snowden'S
loosening of British ties with the Eu-
ropean continent that British depend
ence upon naval strength would be act
ually accumulated when Washington,
however, has shown; through Mr.. Slim
son, firm intention of exerting q posi-
tive influence toward the perpetuation
of peace in both hemispheres, 1t becomes
possible for London to look not only with
tolerance, but with favor on diminu-
ton of British naval expense and of
British naval policing power.
In word, the apparently assured
success of the approaching Anglo
American Japanese naval conference is
dependent entirely upon the spirit
shown in Mr.. Stimson's intervention IN
the threatened war between Russia and
China; and further, the conference is
in the policies of mutually helpful rela-
tionships- financial and economic, for
nstance-between the United States
and the British commonwealth Of ma
tons.
Only Two Obstacles.
Just two clouds appear on the horizon
Of this prospect.
One is the agitation in certain quar-
tiers in Britain and in certain quarters
in the United States for some sort Of
special treaty of political comment be-
tween the British and American Gov
ernment. It has even been reported IN
some newspapers and magazines that
our American Ambassador at London,
Mr.. Charles Gates Dawes, has said:
What we want is pact of COM
plete friendship and trust between Brit
ain and the United States. That Is
what am trying to bring about"
It is Thought here to be unbelievable
that Mr.. Dawes should really ever have
made any such remark. Nothing .