Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-29
Mr.. snowden Sees It Through,

Mr.. Snowden does not get his pound
of flesh at The Hague--to use the idiom
his detractors have employed-but he
has roundly twelve ounces Of 1t. The
British ehancellor's admiring compa-
tYiots, who are organizing q conqueror's
parently quite prepared to consider that
In obtaining some rs per cent Of his
demands Mr.. Snowden has achieved q
historic diplomatic triumph. Already
they are likening his return to England
with the VICTORIOUS homecoming Of
Disraeli after the Berlin conference, who
brought back peace with honor"
Germanys assent to the reparations
compromise. enforced by the doughty
watchdog Of the British treasury is
still outstanding. But concessions de-
manded by Herr Stresemann seem GER
tain to be granted. substantially, II not
wholly. Berlin has discovered that the
game Just won at The Hague by
London is one at which two can play.
Herr Stresemann is therefore bargain
ing while the bargaining is good.
Great Britain obtains 100000 odd
per annum more than her fellow cred-
itors at first were willing to allot her.
Germany on her part, now insists that
after September /, and pending final
evacuation Of the Rhineland, the full
cost Of military occupation shall be
borne by the occupying powers and no
longer rest upon the Reich. The Berlin
foreign minister puts forth this claim
as compensation for Germany's release
Of her interest in surplus payments under
the Dawes plan before the Young plan
becomes effective. The old plan,. with
its larger scale o. German payments,
would not expire until September /,
whereas the experts in Paris agreed TO
apply the Young scale as Of April last,
However the further Kuhhandel (the
cow trading" as the Germans call
such business as The Hague huckster-
ing) results, II is impossible to deny that
Philip Snowden, once reviled by Britain'S
governing class as a rank Socialist out
slider, emerges with the most impressive
trophy Of victory brought home by any
British statesman since Versailles. His
compatriots now are clamoring, In glad
some accents, that II was never the
bagatelle Of two million pounds, more
or less, for which Mr. Snowden was
battling at The Hague He was cunning
for bigger game. He wss out to strike
q decisive blow for British prestige. He
was bent on letting the whole world
know that British diplomacy was no
longer to be regarded the catspaw Of
Europes postwar political and eco
nomic necessities, regardless Of Great
Britains needs and interests.
Having stood like Gibraltar for this
principle, Mr.. Snowden has undoubtedly
not only heightened his own status as
a statesman and a patriot, but he has
as Enthusiastically rendered the British
Labor party yeoman service. To have
challenged the empires admiration so
singularly-to have brought such laurels
10 bTlJdIlI1ld y DIUW WlbI1IH Mn UlOIlbHS
Of taking of1ice-is an accomplishment
on which the Macdonald government
may legitimately plume itself. If 1t
were to 90 into another general cleo
ton tomorrow, 1t would probably secure,
on landslide proportions, the absolute
majority 1t does not now possess in the
House of Commons.
There is, Of course, another side to
Mr.. Snowdens distinguished service
medal. At what cost has Britain bought
victory at The Hague? What feelings
does 1t leave behind in the breasts Of
the vanquished? What Is the future
attitude of France and italy, Britain's
sister powers in the Mediterranean and
Africa, going to be? European states
men are adept in the harboring of dip
lomatic grudges and in craving oppor-
tunities to wipe them out.
Time will tell whether. after all. the
Snowden game was worth the candle.