Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-26
AVERAGE BRITON BORED
BY ANOTHER CONFERENCE
American Delegates to Arms Farley Are
Greeted, but Without
Demonstration.

reasonable distance of his admiralty
advisers.
AS to public apathy, one must explain
this in part by the fact that while the
conference is a novelty for the Ameri-
can public. it is an old thing in the
mind of the British At the moment
when the American delegation arrived
the Hague Conference was terminating
its labors after long and bitterly con-
tested debates which had filled the
| press and further disguised the man In
the street with international gatherings.
Man in Street Suspicious. !.
The British man in the street, like
the American. has a fundamental sus-
where he loses something, where his
own generosity and good faith are VIC
timized by less noble and unselfish
tribes. He has seen a long array of
conferences unfolding ever since 1918;
he has been indignant, disguised. out
ragged and in the end indescribably
bored by the process. In his own
| phrase, he is fed up" with conferences.
That is the explanation of the fact
that the British press, when Mr.. Slim
| son landed, gave its news columns to
prohibition, murder and sport its edi-
torial space to equally parochial issues,
and left discussion of the conference
Tor next week, when the meetings in st.
James Palace will begin.
Yet underneath this exterior of rather
characteristic British phlegm, one may
detect sub-surface of tolerant and
even hopeful optimism. have been In
London when we were too proud to
hgnt' and again when we were univer-
sally described as Uncle Shylock" BY
contrast today the British public re-
CARDS us with friendly good humor. He
hopes TO get the whole naval mess
cleared up-although what on earth we
should want with a navy or base q
claim for parity upon he cannot see.
Macdonald's visit to America satisfied
the public we had been brought to
listen to reason and to see British
necessities as they are viewed by the
average Brtton. This average Briton
is totally unwilling to spend money to
compete with his weather. American
cousin and cannot be excited to believe
That we, in our turn, are a danger like
| the Germans He would be glad to get
the whole matter settled.
But he Is suspicious, as every public
Is always suspicious, when a conference
Is In progress. He is still pretty fairly
angry at his French ally. He might be
aroused to a real outburst OF passion
II ne could be persuaded that Aneri-
can designs for parity we're designed TO
leave him insecure in the presence of
france or on the outskirts of the vol.
canic continent.
Beyond that he is taking the confer
ence rather dutifully as one Is brought
TO take bitter medicine but he does
positively refuse to say he likes The
taste, he utterly declines to get excited
and he is frankly not interested.
/ London Frankly Bored.
= As for London itself. it absofbs bu,
does not celebrate conferences. IN
washington any International gatherI
! ing draws crowds, stimulates discussion.
ana arouses something of the excite.
ment OF a circus in a small town.
London Is past the circus stage has
nved through one war and thirty con-
ferences, finds international congress
an anti-climax after air raids. and no
longer believes that either war or, con-
ferences will result in making " 'one at
Tor 'eroes." So far, the Briton hardly
knows there is q conference. He is so
totally unconcerned with its nature and
feels so friendly toward the United
states that he accepts the presence Of
the American delegation as an ordinary
detail, and sums it all up with the
relatively benevolent word:
Il wonder what Americans and for
eigners are going to take away from
| poor old John Bull this time?"--a sef,-
tin1ent which ought to awaken syru-
pathy In the halls of the United States
] Senate.