The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-10-21
War Nearer
AS BRITAIN'S
POWER WANES
Tight Little Isle Is Losing
Influence for Peace, Due
to DominionS' Stand.
WORLD LOOKS TO U. S.
Europe Is Alive to Danger,
But Hands of Nations
Are Tied.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS,
scrIpps- Howard Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON. Oct. 21.-Can-
and will-the United States act to
head off the new World war which
H. G.. Wells, who more than once
has torn the veil from the future,
predicts may come in the next two
years?
Such is the situation, Wells told
the National Council for the Pre-
vention of War, that any little "ac-
cident" would be sufficient to plunge
mankind into another terrible con-
hict, because, he said, war preven-
ton agencies are inefficient.
The war Offices, he warned, are
all ready. but peace organizations
are not, In crisis, they would not
be effective. All they couIG do is
sit and talk.
The tragedy of the thing, accord
ing to diplomats here, frank
enough to admit the truth, is that
Europe is fully alive to the danger,
but as one country is as much in
volved as another, none of them
is in position to head off the peril.
Great Britain Slipping
Great Britain, whose might for
more than a century has been the
greatest factor for peace Europe has
had, is slipping. Four years ago,
at the imperial conference, and
again this year, the dominions made
it crystal clear that they are, in
fact, as independent of the mother
country as the United States.
Even the remaining silken thread
of sentiment, all that now binds
Britain and her dominions, may be
cut whenever a dominion cares to
do so. The right of secession is
granted.
The little island of England,
Scotland, and Wales, therefore, now
is left alone in a seething section
of the map, face to face with what
ever the future may hold. The do
ninions may come to its aid and
they may not They will decide,
each for itself, when the crisis
comes.
The chancellerieS of continental
Europe are fully aware of this state
of affairs and Britain's prestige suf-
fers accordingly. Her voice still is
respected when she lifts it at con-
ferences, but it no longer has the
power of veto it once had.
Has Troubles at Home
Furthermore, Britain's once titan
ic strength is being drained by
troubles of her own. Unemployment
and economic depression are a men,
ace at home and difficulties with
her overseas possessions are imper-
ling her abroad.
Few sane Englishmen ever expect
to see the pacification of India,
where more than 300,000,000 natives
are in revolt, and some are con-
WINGED that before the last word is
said Soviet Russia and Britain will
come to grips.
Alarmed by what they regard as
the waning power of Britain, French
statesmen are preaching the neceS-
sity of a stronger France. Reports
from Paris say that former Presi-
dent Poincare. fiercest nationalist
of them all. is likely to become
prime minister soon, replacing Pre-
mier Tardieu, himself a Poincare
disciple.
Will Stir Strife
This only can add to the general
uneasiness. for certainly there will
be repercussions in Germany, Italy
Poland, the Balkans and elsewhere
AS Europe glowers and Britain's
power wanes. the strength of the
United States continues to increase.
Richest and. potentially, the most
powerful nation on earth, aloof from
old world intrigue. which men like
Wells say soon will end in war, will
America step in and swing the bal
snce in favor of peace? Or will she
remain ON the sidelineS and let ma
ture take its course?