Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

mas been by a considerable Pc
Rod of chaos in French domestic
Il politics, constitutes one of the
striking and memorable Incl
dents of cotemporary history-striking
because it illustrates the completely and
interdependence of European relations;
memorable because 1t emphasizes once
more the evils sure to follow the pur-
suit of prestige by any single nation.
The fall of BRAND was the direct con-
sequence of the course pursued by
Snowden at The Hague conference. To
this gathering at the Dutch capital,
convoked to arrange for the formal
transition from the Dawes to the Young
plan. the Labor chancellor came re-
solved to win for the newly installed
Socialist ministry glory at home by a
vigorous action abroad.
In undertaking such program Snow
den broke deliberately and completely
with the policy of his Tory predecessors,
and he just as clearly broke with the
policy Ramsay Macdonald had adopted
during his brief government of 1924.
From the fall of Lloyd George in 1922
to the coming of Labor last Summer,
British policy has been that of CO.
operation rather than competition. Dur
ing the five years that the Tories had
been in power European affairs had
been actually controlled by three men
BRAND StreSemann and Austen Cham
berlain. All three naturally sought to
serve the legitimate ends of their coun-
tries, but all three worked together,
each seeking to render easier the situa-
ton of the other two at home, and none
undertaking to profit at the expense of
the others.
Domination Of British Policy.
Before this time, during the postwar
years, when Lloyd George was prime
minister of Britain, supported by a
coalition cabinet. British policy had
been dominated by Lloyd Georges con-
ception that foreign affairs were actu-
ally sort of duel-a foreign quarrel,
conducted with the idea of winning pop
ularity at home and prestige in the
world. And during nearly four years
Lloyd George had carried on a consis-
tent duel with the various French pre-
mierS, with Clemenceau at Paris. with
Millerand over Poland, and with BRAND
both in Europe and in America, where
France and Britain had clashed openly
at the Naval Conference of 1921-22.
The consequences of this duel had
been disastrous for Europe, since they
led to complete break between Britain
and France. They had been fatal to
Clemenceau, who had been the advo-
cate of Anglo French alliance, they had
been unfortunate for Millerand, who
escaped to the presidency before he
was overtaken by Clemenceau's disaster.
And they finally led to the undoing of
BRAND, who during the Cannes con-
ference was unseated as a consequence
Of the French resentment over what
had happened at Washington.
But Lloyd George only achieved the
arrival to power of Poincare, who un-
like Clemenceau, Millerand and BRAND
was ready to fight British policy and
did not share the views of his pre-
decessors as to the supreme Importance
to France of British support. Poincare
adopted Lloyd Georges tactics, wrecked
the Genoa conference-which was to
have been Lloyd Georges triumph and
the basis of his appeal to the British
electorate-and made inevitable his
fall.
Compromise After Chaos.
Lloyd George having fallen, Poincare
went into the Ruhr and European
order seemed for the moment hopeless
ly compromised. After more than a
year of chaos-during which Germany
was brought to the edge of ruin, France
moved rapidly toward the financial
crash which came in 1926, and Britain
was condemned to stand impotently
aside-Poincare in turn fell, the Bald
win government shortly gave way to
the first Labor ministry and Macdonald
and Herriot undertook to restore Anglo
French cooperation.
Macdonald shortly gave way to Bald
win, who called Austen Chamberlain to
the foreign Office, Herriot was replaced
by BRAND, and Stresemann became the
controlling force in German foreign
affairs. All three men had been taught
by the bitter experiences of the recent
postwar years, all three set out to work
together, the spirit of competition was
replaced by one of cooperation and
European reorganization was rapidly
forwarded
During all this time both Labor and
the Liberal fragment in Britain rallied
at Chamberlain and steadily cultivated
the notion that British interests were
being sacrificed to French, that British
prestige was being totally abolished,
that British taxpayers were being called
upon to pay disproportionately.
Labor Exploited Mix-up.
These charges having been hurled
during the British campaign, nothing
was more natural and more inevitable
than that, once Labor came to power,
it would seek to exploit the situation
and satisfy national pride by some
dramatic and sensational stroke. That
stroke was delivered at The Hague by
Snowden and it instantly revived all
the conditions that had existed during
the Lloyd George regime, While Bri-
tain cheered the success of its repre-
sentative in taking money from his
French, italian and Belgian associates
which the British expert, Sir Josiah
Stamp, had pronounced fair during the
formulation of the Young plan-the
French, Italian and Belgian representa-
tives were instantly aSSailed at home
for having yielded.
At The Hague the great difference
between BRAND and Snowden lay in
the fact that BRAND was working to
insure the adoption of the Young plan
and to promote general European re-
construction and solidarity while Snow
den was out to win a purely British
triumph at any cost. BRAND was work
ing for the general good OF Europe.
Snowden was endeavoring in insure the
continuation of q Labor government by
gaining for it the credit of shining
success.
At The Hague Snowden won from
that moment Brands position was
compromised and the whole European
atmosphere was changed. In France
there was deep and lasting resentment
at a national humiliation. in Italy there
was violent anger at what was inter-
preted as a deliberately anti-Fascist
policy on the part of Labor. In this
1ituation the French Chamber of Depu-
ties, in which Brands majority was
7recarious, instantly became FESTIVE.
Lack of Decisive Majority.
When one turns to the French Cham
n of Deputies, where the decisive ac-
on must now take place, 1t is clear
nat there Is complete lack of any
ecisive majority. There is, on the one
side, a rather closely united bloc made