Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
BY FRANK H. sIMoNDs.

BY FRANK III. SIMONDS.
TIME recent meeting of the British
Labor party in Llandudno was
chiefly interesting as it disclosed
the spectacle of q party which
was not merely politically bank
rupt in the face of its prediction
pledges, but divided on every con-
siderable issue now before the British
nation. Rarely in recent political his
taking presented q spectacle at once
more pitiable and more hopeless.
Something more than a year ago
when Labor came to power 1t had two
clear programs, one domestic and the
other foreign. At home 1t was going to
end the economic crisis by q vigorous
handling Of the unemployment issue
Abroad 1t was going to restore British
prestige in Europe by breaking the
alleged servitude Of Chamberlain to
BRAND and giving a German -'ather
than a French flavor to its policy.
Finally it was going to hquidate the
Anglo American naval dispute.
Despair Replaces Hope.
After year what are the facts?
Unemployment has increased from
/ zoo, 900 to 2,200,O 900, is still mounting
by leaps and bounds and is certain to
reach 2,5o0.000 and possibly 5000 900
before the Winter is over. .omewhere
between a fifth and a quarter Of the
people of the United Kingdom are row
supported out of the public treasury at
cost which exceeds 100000 900 an
nually. And in England despair has
replaced hope.
In foreign affairs Snowden did break
with France at The Hague, promptly
and brusquely, but while as a consc-
quence Britain repudiated the original
Young plan agreement and obtained a
little better share. the Franco-British
financial quarrel has been followed by q
steady draining of the gold supply OF
the Bank of England to the Bank of
France, which has not yet ended and
has been fraught with very unpleasant
consequences in the London City dis
trict.
The Anglo-French entente main
| tanned by Chamberlain and BRAND has
ended. but If on the one hand this
break has blocked the BRAND program
for European unity, on the other 1t has
demolished Labor's pet project of dis
armament. Lacking Anglo-French CO.
operation, the recent session of the
Assembly of the League of Nations has
been the leanest in achievement In
| many years.
German Policy Proving Unhappy.
Moreover, the attempt to draw closer
| to Germany has not produced happy
| results. Evacuation of the Rhineland,
| which was LaboriS most urgent demand,
has been followed by the triumph of
Hitler, and the disclosure of German
Nationalist purpose to press for treaty
revision and, above all, to repudiate the
Young plan and the reparations obli-
0Qftnn -
tons obligation means leaving the
British treasury saddled with an annual
payment of almost 100000, 900 to
Washington, with nothing coming in
from Germany for war reparations or
from France and Italy for war debts.
! And, as things stand, there is q huge
and growing deficit in the years
account
The London Naval Conference was
momentarily counted as q success,
but If Anglo-American relations have
been bettered by It and measure 81
economy achieved, the price has beer
the worSening of Franco-Italian rela.
| tons to the point where they have be.
come q standing menace to European
! tranquility. The earnest but futile eff.
| forts OF Henderson to effect an adjust
ment between the two rival nations has
failed lamentably and discussions have
been broken of. Not at any time since
the days of Crispi and the occupation
of Tunis have the two Latin peoples
bsen so angry at each other.
Moreover. Labor, which is at bottom
ami French, and would like to stand
with Germany and even with Italy, is
hard put to it to justify any partner
ship with the Italy of Mussolini, who
talks little but force and machine guns
and breaches a nationalism of the most
intransigeant sort. Nor is it easier to
be photographed with German fascism
which not only breaches general violence
but makes a particular reference to
anti-Semitic activity.