Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-04
POWERS OPEN YEAR
WITH NO ALLIANCES.
Seven Leading Nations Held
Politically Isolated With
Rival Allies Vanished.
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.

1890 begins without single real alli-
ance among any of the seven major
powers.
The British Labor government broke
the Anglo-French entente and with the
help of Washington greatly improved
Anglo-American relations, but failed to
establish that real Anglo-American en-
tente which, was its aim. The Franco
German Impeachment and the Fran
co-Italian friendship treaty negotiations
are both marking time.
The Russo German entente has con-
tinued to cool and its political value
today is probably slight.
Thus, ct the present moment, the
United States, Great Britain, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia are
all politically isolated. The old system
of the balance of power, which involved
two sets of opposing alliances, seems to
have completely vanished.
Germs Of close understanding still ex-
ist in the Anglo american naval agree
ment the Franco-German industrial
cartels, the RusSo-German political
treaty and the Franco-Italian friend
ship talks but whether or not single
one of these germs will Sprout during
the course of the present year it is still
impossible to say.
The political uncertainty resulting
from this situation seems, If anything,
to strengthen the relative Importance
of the United States and to increase its
facilities for taking the initiative in the
international arena. This Importance
was emphasized recently when for the
first time in history a British prime
minister went to Washington for a
political conference.
The organization of world peace,
earnestly supported by the United
States as by most other powers, seems
to be steadily advancing. The Kellogg
pact has been twice invoked by the
United States to prevent war between
China and Russia over Manchuria, not,
however, with complete success, so that
Foreign Minister AriStide BRAND in
France and Charles Evans Hughes in
the United States both now propose
to fortify the pact by an agreement OF
signatories to confer in case the pact
appears to be threatened at any time.
viii Join World Court.
The United States is at last about to
join the World Court and has con-
tinued to cooperate with the League of
Nations, which. however, was not ap-
pealed to during the year in any urgent
manner.
The cause of peace has been ap-
parently encouraged by Brands PRO-
posal for a United States of Europe"
the establishment of an international
bank in connection with the Young
PREPARATIONS plan, the suggestion for
Mediterranean pact between Great
Britain, Italy, France and Spain, the
evacuation of the Rhineland by the last
British and Belgian troops and the
French promise to evacuate by next
June if the Young plan goes through.
Meanwhile most states in ony way or
another have continued to arm. par
Italy, Japan, Great Britain and the
United States are building, but Ger
many, Holland, Spain, Russia and
others as well. Germany has produced
a new and stronger type of cruiser
than any before seen, and France has
launched the worlds largest sub
marine.
There Is a general tendency to cut
down land forces numerically, but at
the same time to strengthen them in
mobility and fire power by increased
mechaniZation.
Air Forces Increased.
Air forces are also being increased
everywhere. Germans during the past
year built two new large types Of planes
which, by landing men and machine
guns within enemy lines at vital points,
may completely transform the char
acter of any future war. The French
have just decided to build along their
entire eastern and northern frontiers
an uninterrupted series of defensive
works which will be unique in the
world.
In the way of disarmament about the
only concrete achievement has been
the reduction of military service in
France to one year, with the result that
the French Army numerically and per-
hapS also in actual fighting strength
is at the lowest ebb in the present
century.
But the new year opens with an i'm
mediate prospect of having perhaps
the greatest disarmament conference
ever held-namely, the flve-power naval
reduction conference called on the in
itiative of Great Britain and the United
States, to meet in London, January 81.
This conference bids fair to affect not
only the worlds whole disarmament
program, but also the entire interna-
tional political situation.
The success in naval disarmament
should, it Is estimated, hasten land and
air disarmament and facilitate further
political agreements, while failure would
have contrary effect.
Outlook Is ObScured.
Preparation for this conference has
been under way for some months.
Great Britain and the United States
are almost completely agreed as between
themselves, but Japan and especially
France will make claims for ratios
which neither the United States nor
Great Britain seems disposed to accept,
and Italy claims parity with France,
yNrf1iH0 EraT4na rnfII-ac tn admit that
the outlook for the conference is OBJ
scure.
Perhaps that part of the world which
at the present time most seriously
threatens peace is Asia. Arab lands OF
the Near East are still restless, as wit
ness the recent bloodshed in Palestine.
India is in ferment with anti-BritiSh
and nationalist agitation. Afghanistan
continues to be a pawn in the age-long
struggle between Great Britain and Rus
STA, with the present advantage with
Great Britain.
China continues to be even. more Of a
g.J,ienY tnan Il was a yea ago. It's
national unity, though loudly pro-
claimed, seems highly precarious, but
this has not deferred the Chinese from
offending Western powers by summarily
denouncing treaties which hitherto have
protected foreigners in China from hav-
ing to submit to justice as understood in
Chinese courts.
The respective policies Of Russia. ia
pan and the United States in Manchu-
ria are also causing some anxiety.
Business Was Not Bad.
Business throughout the world was
not bad in 1929 and promises to bt
fairly good in 1880, but, financially. the
year ended with an almost genera
slump, the correcting Of which will bt
one of the first problems of the new
year pVervuharP