Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-27
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.

BY PAUL SCOTT MOwRER.
BY Gable to The Star.
PARIS, France, December 27.-Con-
siderable effort Is now being made to
detach Belgium from its defensive al
lance with France.
The immediate question Is whether
the Franco-Belgian STAFF agreement OF
1920 should be abrogated. A big de-
bate on the subject Is expected in the
Belgian Chamber Of Deputies during
the second week of January, beginning
with a statement of the governments
views by Foreign Minister Paul Hymans.
This statement will undoubtedly be
favorable to maintenance of the agree
ment on the following grounds Just put
forward by Minister Of State H. Carton
De Wharf:
The agreement is not really an al
lance, but technical arrangement as
to how the French and Belgian armies
shall cooperate In ease either country
is victim of unprovoked aggression.
De Wharf adds that it would be dan
gerous and naive to denounce the
agreement Just now, when evacuation of
the Rhineiand by French and Belgian
troops Is proved by Adolf Hitler's sue
cess in the German elections not to
have had the pacifying effect which
had been hoped.
Opposition to the agreement comes
mainly from the Flemish Autonomists,
Catholics and Socialists and is support
ed morally by German and Dutch Ma
tionalists and by certain elements in
Great Britain.
Provoked by Press Articles.
To some extent the present furry in
Belgian foreign policy may be said TO
have been provoked by two vigorous
articles In the London Daily Telegraph,
written by DR.. Maurice Gerothwohl,
who is said to be a conf1dant of David
Lloyd George and whose articles are
noted for their proletarian and anti
French tendencies. DR.. Gerothwohl
urges Belgium to model its foreign
policy on Britain, not France.
He sees three dangers to European
peace-the German-Polish frontier, the
Italian-Jugoslav frontier and the
Franco-It italian naval rivalry in the
Mediterranean. He seems to foresee that
in case Of an italian attack on France
or Jugoslavia or of a German attack on
Poland, the Council of the League of
Nations will disagree regarding respon-
Sibilities and Great Britain will remain
neutral.
He admits, however, that If Belgium,
| as Frances ally, should be drawn in,
it would be difdcult for Great Britain
to stay out. He therefore proposes
abrogation of the Franco-Belgian mill
tary agreement.
These articles were widely reproduced
IN the Belgian press and Immediately
| started lively discussion. Emile Van
| dervelde, Socialist leader, seems more
or less to adopt DR.. Gerothwohl's views.
The Locarno treaties and the Kellogg
pact, he asserts, make Franco-Belgian
staff cooperation unnecessary, and he
intimates that the Socialists will vote
against the SOC, 600, 0O0-franc credits the
| government is asking for the defense Of
Belgium's eastern frontier.
Called VassaI Of France.
This view is stoutly seconded by Van
Cauwelaert, Flemish Catholic burgo-
master of Antwerp, who accuses the
government of making Belgium q mere
vassal of France.
Behind the argument looms through
out the bitter interior political struggle
which Is going on between the Flemish
speaking Flemings and the French
country Is about equally divided. Flem-
ish extremists, who have already won
full administrative equality for the
Flemish tongue, seem now to be aiming
at nothing less than Flemish autonomy.
Moreover, the French-Speaking parts
of Belgium are precisely those nearest
the German frontier which suffered
most in the last war and would be most
| exposed If another war occurred. Wal
1icke -
agree with Flemish Socialists on foreign
policy.
Hope to Renew Entente.
Partisans of the Franco Belgian
agreement say that they have already
tried several times and will always be
glad to make with Great Britain an
additional agreement similar to that
with France. What they still hope for
is renewal of the Franco-British entente.
The French press has extensively
commented on these Belgian discus
sions. In the main, French writer's
| content themselves with pointing out
what they consider anomalies in the
position Of their Belgian opponents. 1t
German Socialists never do anything
serious to hinder German military
policy, Belgian and French Socialists
seem systematically to oppose the idea
Of national defense. Why, they ask,
when neither Italy nor Germany seems
in the slightest degree inspired by the
Locarno spirit, should Belgium, intrlSt
its safety to this spirit?
And, finally, they intimate that the
aim Of the Germans, Italians and Rus
slams in clamoring for disarmament is
merely to weaken those countries which,
like France and Belgium, stand for the
| upholding Of the peace treaties, in order
thus to increase the relative strength of
those countries which like Germany,
Russia and Italy, want to overthrow
. these treaties.