Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-13
BRAND TO REVIVE
SFEDERATION MOVE
Economic Session Would En-.
counter Opposition of
Britain and Russia.
BY GERVILLE REACHE.
v hAble m The Star.

Byooable to The star.
oPARIS, April 12.-In a few days
Foreign Minister BRAND of France will
address a QUESTIONABLE to all Euro
pean governments regarding the pos
sibilities of q political or economic Fed
Grafton in Europe.
from a purely political viewpoint, the
principal questions arising are:
In what measure can q future con-
federation be usefully incorporated in
the League of Nations?
What contribution could such a new
group bring to international affairs?
What states could, without difficulty,
take part In this confederation
Several groups already exist: Namely,
the little entente, and the various pow
ers that signed the Locarno pact. But
it has been demonstrated at London
during the Naval Conference that a
third group-that of the Mediterranean
pewers-is more difficult of realization.
Would Meet Opposition.
The object of such a confederation
evidently would be to improve the
Geneva pact in articles looking toward
the prohibition of war, and here again
is an idea that has suffered an almost
irreparable check at the hands OF Great
Britain.
therefore, If federative bond. even
a. very supple one, were to be created IN
Europe, the good will of either England
upon. Traditionally the United King
dom has always been an obstacle to
realization of greater international
progress in Europe and now more than
eyer it is turning toward the complete
economic and political unity OF the
British Empire.
SAs for Russia, whose present govern
ment is reviving Attila's old policy with
the same diplomatic means, that coun-
try is much more concerned with stir
ring storm all over Asia than with
any agreement with the bourgeois gov
eSnments of Europe.
consequently a European eonfedera-
ton, which some would improperly call
the United States OF Europe" must be
limited to European continental powers,
except for Russia, and these powers al
ready are the most assiduous members
of the League of Nations.
Believe Bloc Is Possible.
Would such a bloc be possible from
an economic viewpoint? A number OF
statesmen hope so.
POSTWAR conditions" said NJ BRAND
at that famous luncheon speech of his
i'm September, 1929, "have demonstrated
the interdependence of European states,
particularly in economic and social
fields. It becomes more necessary every
day to organize and rationalize produe-
ton and exchanges, especially In the
presence Of an ever more intense world
competition. which may become ire
sistible if the state of anarchy in Euro
pean markets Is not remedled."
The first step In this direction was
taken by the tariff conference. Al
though its original object of complete
tariff was not attained, the stabiliEa-
ton Of commercial treaties until April
l., 1886, and the undertakings agreed
to by the states with autonomous Gus
toms systems constitute q moral OBJ
stacle against the increase Of tariffs.
From another point of view the IN
crease of the American tariff on lace
Is "a step whose effects were felt much
further than by the small city of Calais
which was a victim OF it. 1t sounded
an alarm throughout Europe at the very
moment when the continent was con-
sidering the substitution of a Eu-
ropean economy for national economies.
Proposes Economic Relations Group.
IN this connection 1t is interesting
to, note that the International Chamber
of Commerce proposes to form an in
teFnational economic relations group,
consisting Of committees, to delve into
the subject of obstacles to trade, indus
trial aecords and decentralization in .Eti-
rope, the United States, the Far East
and South America. These committees
would present the results Of their labors
before the chambers next congress, in
Washington in May, 1881.
There Is universal desire to draw
together in spirit of economic COM
prpmise to prevent the recurrence of an
economic crisis infinitely worse than
any known in the last so years. OUT
lets can be widened for the benefit
of. world production only by passing
frem the stage Of national economies
to: the stage Of continental markets.
The greatest prosperity cannot be found
n.rivalry, but in specialization, in the
delimitation of sales territories and In
more rigorous adaptation of production
a. -