Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-25
Disarmament's Gloomy Outlook.


Events of the past twenty-four hours
In q Europe cropping desperately for
political peace and economic tran
quility have done anything but advance
those worthy causes At Geneva,
where the League of Nations is wind
ing UP its semi-annual assembly in a
blaze of acrimonious oratory, British
and German spokesman clashed vio-
lentiy over the disarmament issue.
Elsewhere at League headquarters the
Franco-Italian negotiations over naval
limitations came to a sorry inconclu-
sion.
This morning, with the German SUI
prene Court at Leipzig as his FORUM
Adolph Hitler, leader of the Reich
FascistS, flung a new firebrand into
the troubled European situation by de-
claring, with unabashed turbulence,
that destruction Of the Treaty of Yer
sailles. lock, stock and barrel, Is the
avowed program of the German brown
shirts. The long. long trail that some
day Is to lead to warless world looms
Is q thornier path than ever in the
presence of such developments.
Breakdown of efforts to bring the
French and Italian Navies within the
scope of the London limitation treaty
Is, for the moment at least, the most
disconcerting feature. Were Hitler
ism ever to achieve power in Germany.
BY either the ballot or the bullet, and
carry its revolutionary policies into eff
feet. Europe would face a situation
which would automatically Danish dis
armament as . debatable issue. But
Herr Hitler is singing In the key of
what Germans call "zukunftsmusik"-
music Of the future. There are many
bridges to cross before his Fascists can
pronounce the doom Of postwar set
Elements.
The agreement Of the Paris and
Rome governments to disagree on naval
limitation Is Q more immediate and
concrete blow to disarmament. Italy
appears to have been willing 10 re.
nounce her demand for parity with
France and accept . gross feet In
feriority Of 100000 tons. In craft be-
low 10000 tons-light cruisers, de-
stroyers and submarines, particularly
guhmarinee-the Mussolini government
required absolute parity In numbers,
plus the privilege Of shifting tonnage
from one category Of ships to another.
France insisted on the right to build
in the ratio Of one and one-half units
to Italy's one, covering the period Of
the next six years. On this rock
negotiations went TO smash.
The Anglo-German set-to in the
League Assembly yesterday has q gen.
eral bearing upon, though no specific
reference to, these current European
events. Count Bernstorff, speaking for
the Reich, assailed the League dis
armament commission for its alleged
"do-nothing" policy. He argued that
for ten years its ordained program Of
bringing about world disarmament had
been systematically honored in the
breach, rather than the observance.
Viscount Cecil Of Chelwood, retortins
on behalf OF Great Britain and in his
quality as q leader in the disarmament
movement, vigorously challenged Count
Bernsterff's charge. The British states
man counseled continued patience,
denying the allegation of procrastina-
ton
Germany, having been relatively dis
armed by her World War conquerors,
comprehensibly Graves the hour when
they, too, will proceed to beat swords
into plowshares. But with the Reich
lowering on the brink Of revolution, and
France and Italy unable to bury the
naval Ratchet, Lord Cecil's contention
that the business Of disarmament must
be tackled warily smacks Of common
sense, devoid through it be Of promise
In the desired direction.