Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-13
REICH'S REVISION HOPES
FALL WITH CUSTOMS PACT
Change From Policy of Resistance to
Cooperation Speculated-Bruening
Must Pay for New Locarno.

Locarno agreement. On such basis he
can obtain French financial aid for his
domestic economic difficulties.
The obstacle to such a policy is the
wholly uncompromiSing spirit of the
Nationalist and National-Socialist op-
position and the deep-seated deternin-
alton on the part of the whole German
people not to accept the corridor as
eternal A compromise in the shape Of
a or 10 year moratorium in politics,
which would adjourn the thorny issues
for the present. Is not impossible. It
was even suggested in Paris few weeks
ago.
Conditions have changed, however,
since that time. The collapse Of the
Labor government and the financial
crisis in Britain have materially re-
Guced British influence, while any Tory
government which may come certainly
will support cooperation with France,
rs Labor did association with Germany.
France, therefore. may judge the mo-
ment propitious for insisting upon a
definitive surrender en- Germany's part
Germany has patiently only one card
left: The desire of the British and
American peoples to prevent an actual
collapse involving the loss of the vast
sums We and the British have adj
ventured in the Reich. In the British
case, however. this danger may lead
to urgings that Germany accept the in
evitable. In any case. no new money
can be found for Berlin and 70 real
relief from the reparations burdens
save with French consent. and France
is not likely TO overlook her interests.
French Want Understanding.
1t is true, however, that the French
are more eager than ever for an under
standing with Germany. and within
the fixed limits that always restrain
them will go far on the road to CO.
operation. There are only three things
which they will not Surrender-their
opposition to Anschluss, their opposition
to changing the Polish corridor and
their determination to resist all at
tampts at disarmament without prior
agreement in the matter of security.
The statement made by Paul Bon
cour, Socialist chairman of the Foreign
Relations Committee of the French
Senate, clearly foreshadows the French
policy at Geneva, for, with Poncour's
utterance, 1t becomes clear that all
French parties intend to put security
before disarmament and insist upon in
ternational guarantees before there Is
any reduction of armies or navies.
Since no such guarantees are obtain
able it is clear no disarmament agree
ment is possible at Geneva Under
other circumstances British and Ameri-
can pressure might be put upon Paris.
None Is possible now that France has
just won the greatest diplomatic victory
in postwar history.
Macdonald will certainly endeavor, If
he is in power. to aid his American
friends in pushing for progress at
Geneva. But British policy is bound
to be handicapped by the fact that
British finance has borrowed a quar-
ter billion in Paris. In fact, nothing is
palmer than that while there is great
sympathy in London, Berlin and Rome
with the attitude Of the American
Government, there is no solid support
to be had anywhere, save perhaps from
the FaScists, because of the financial
and political circumstances of the pres
ent hour. If French opinion is now
manifeStly veering away from opposi-
ton and in favor of the meeting, 1t is
precisely because all of the odds have
turned in French favor
The European situation, then drops
back for the moment from an acute
state to one of calm. A great offensive
against the peace treaties has been
made and has failed. The conse-
quences of the offensive have been
politically, financially and economically
disastrous to the powers who conducted
it and only less costly to many others
In the period of enforced tranquility
now European craftsmanship must de-
eide whether to change its course and
work for economic reorganization at
the price of political sacrifices or con-
TINE to subordinate economic consider
aticas to political.
fCopyrieht 1917