Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21
BY PAUL SCOTT MowRER.


due to the distaste conceived by some
leading British and American bankers
and politicians for the more truculent
phases of Premier Mussolinis oratory,
for the Hitler policies and the general
German agitation against the Young
plan and the peace treaties and in
favor of rearmament, and especially
for the vague menace to peace and
prosperity involved in what has been
termed the "Desperadoes' League" OF
Italy, Russia, Germany, Hungary Bull
saria and Turkey against the present
European order.
Among the latest consequences OF
better Anglo-American relations with
France may be enumerated the follow
ing: :,
France toward Great Britain and the
United States in matters OF naval
policy.
Anglo French entente.
8. Signs of a more conclllatory at
titude BY Italy in naval matters.
4. Indications that France and Ger
many may soon seek new basis OF
understanding.
Main Outline Accepted.
France, by the memorandum which
Is now in the hands OF Hugh ,: Gid
son, American Ambassador to Belgium,
has formally accepted the main out
lines of the naval compromise suggested
bv Mr. Gibson and seemingly approved
bv Great Britain. 1t is willing, in other
words. to cease submarine construction
altogether and to limit construction In
other categories solely to requirements.
Furthermore if no agreement with
italy along these lines proves posslple,
treaty. leaving Italy out. Both Great
britain and the United States are care
fully studying the French replacement
tables.
While Rrance is particularly pleased
that the United States, through Am
bassador Gibson, is taking such an &C
tive though disinterested part IN tne
negotiation, there is not the slightest
doubt that France earnestly desires an
entente with Great Britain.
Now that Great Britain and the
United States seem disturbed at de-
velopments in Italy and Germany, An
rlo-French relations have undoubtedly
improved.
Dispute Near Settlement.
Great Britain, in the disarmament
debates at Geneva, supported the
French theses in the main and, what Is
even more significant, the long-standing
dispute between Great Britain ana
France Is about to be settled regarding
the Mosul oil fields pipe line. It is now
virtually agreed that the pipe line VIII
be forked through both syria anu
Palestine. If Great Britain accepts the
latest French naval concessions, another
important step toward an entente Will
have been accomplished.
italy. meanwhile, is hesitating. IL
desires to make sure to what extent Jne
AnRlo-American trend toward france
is real and durable. Meanwhile, IL Is
suffering from a severe financial ana
economic crisis.
accent the Anglo-American naval COM
promise suggestion provided France
agrees not to replace ships which are
already superannuated, but only those
which reach their age limit between
now and 1886.
THE fundamental situation between
France and Italy is that France can
afford to build and Italy cannot.
Would Be U. S. Triumph.
Settlement of, the Franco-Itahan
naval dispute would, most diplomats
think. change the entire European Sit
uation for the better. The "desperadoeS
league" would promptly vanish, and all
attention could be devoted to flnolng
common measures for combating the
worlds economic difficulties. Incl,
dentally, such a settlement, obtained
under American auspices. would be
remarkable success for President Hoover
and American diplomacy.
Meanwhile there are signs OF possible
Improvement in FTanco-German rela-
tons.
German diplomacy seems to want an
entente with France, but 1t wants
france to purchase this entente at the
price of important financial, military
or territorial concessions. The intima-
ton is that unless France makes such
concessions Germany will definitely
join italy, Russia and the other NAL
contents.
The German potash magnate, Arnold
Rechberg, in a recent open letter TO the
French press develops this thesis. Inc
United States has withdrawn from
European affairs, he says. Great
Britain is half paralyzed and viii re-
main neutral. Italy is dreaming of a
vast Mediterranean empire and is irrev-
ocably hostile to France. Russia Is
plotting TO divide Europe, provoke a
war, win Asiatic markets and thus by
war and unemployment provoke world
revolution.
Herr Rechberg claims to know that
the recent Italo-Russian commercial
treaty is really military. Germany.
disappointed in the republic, discouraged
and despairing, is leaning, he says, to-
ward Russia and italy.
Says Reichswehr Is Hope.
Its hope, he affirms. is almost wholly
in the Reichswehr. Although the Ger
man constitution is democratic and
republican, the truth is that never under
the monarchy of the Hohenzollerns did
military chiefs have so much influence
on German policy as in the present re-
public" The minister of foreign af-
fairs, he asserts, is a mere subsidiary Of
the RetchswehT. And, such being the
case, he urges France to seek an ALI
ance with the Reichswehr chiefs b.
making Germany some concession
everybody can understand"
Certainly there Is no immediate pcs.
sibility Of Frances accepting the Ger.
man suggestions, yet 1t is considered
significant that Germany seems 10 'bC
seeking conversations. France, on IT.
part is quite willing TO talk. M Briano
IN a speech broadcast "wednesday
night declared that despite all crit.
iclsm, he intended 10 perseyere to thu
end In the task OF keeping France a.
the head OF the world peace movement
on the platform Of arbitration, securit!
and disarmament.
In January the League of Nations
Committee for q European Union vii
hold its first meeting. Former French
Minister lie Trooquer recently has beer
IN Berlin. It is understood he had i'm
portant conversations there looking TO-
ward close economic relations between
France, Germany, Luxembourg and Bel
GUM.
NJ. Brands hope seems to be tina