Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03

meeting at Geneva in mid-May
is destined to prove one OF the
Il most important of all interna-
tional gatherings since the war.
on the surface 1t will concern Itself
primarily with the question OF the pro-
posed tariff union of Austria and Ger
many. But it Is far from improbable
that the issue may be postponed until
the world Court has pronounced upon
the judicial aspects Of the project.
Thus the clash due to friction be-
tween Germany and France resulting
from the Austro- German proposal may
be avoided for a certain time. But In
reality the clash between British ana
French policies and purposes has become
something almost more serious, II not
more dangerous, than the differences be-
tween the ancient antagonists on either
side of the Rhine. And we appear to be
moving toward a showdown.
At bottom the issue grows out OF
the totally different conception of the
solution of the problem OF peace IN
France and in Britain. In France the
unanimous view, pointedly voiced by the
President of the republic at Nice after
the AnschluSS incident. Is that war IN
Europe can only be prevented by the
existence of q League Of Nations pro-
vided with q military and naval force
sufficient to act, automatically ana I'M
mediately, the moment any nation takes
a first step toward aggression.
British View Differs.
The British idea is quite unlike this
and on the whole not greatly different
from that prevailing in the United
States. The British hold that disarma-
ment, by removing the means to make
war and by avoiding the evil conSe-
quences Of competition in ornaments,
is the only solution. They want to cut
down armies, but at the same time they
insist upon maintaining navy equal to
the combined tonnage Of any two Euro
pean nations. That is, Of course, the
fatal flaw in their argument when they
encounter the French, who insist upon
a superiority over other armed states
which, without being as marked, Is de-
cisive
A deadlock results from these opposed
views because q proposal Tor a British
guarantee of the existing order in Eu-
rope, backed by British blood and treas
re and directed by q League Council
in which the British vote Is In ID,
would not even command the patient
consideration Of BritonS Of any political
party or social rank.
But, just as universally, Frenchmen
condemn any program which involves
their disarmament without physical
guarantees. They see no reason why,
faced by an unfriendly Germany be-
yond the Rhine and an equally uncom-
Portable Italian neighbor beyond the
Alps, they should be asked to reduce
their military defenSeS below the level
Britain, without facing any such obvi-
GUS dangers, maintains for her navy.
German Threat Seen.
This debate, which has endured ever
since the Peace Conference, takes on a
new acutenesS now because the British
see clearly that unless the military es-
adjustments Of France and of her Slav
allies are materially reduced within a
short time Germany will Individually
throw OF the limitations imposed upon
her by the peace treaty and begin to
re-establish her old pre-war military
force. Once this happens, the British
believe, with patient justice. that many
Of the worst Of pre-war circumstances
will be restored.
Moreover, the British maintain that
having signed the Locarno accords,
which bind Britain TO support France
against German aggression land Ger
many aggSnst any similarly unprovoked
French attack in the Rhine area, they
have in fact assured French security
beyond reasonable doubt. The French
do not believe this. They remember
that despite British help German armies
in 1914 almost reached Paris and re-
manned on French territory to the end
of the war. They also recall the deadly
fears Of the last days of the 1914 crisis
before Britain made up her mind to
Join up.
AS a consequence the French have
made alliances with three Slav states
Poland, CzechoSlovakia and JuRoslavia
the first two neighbors Of Germany, the
third OF Italy. In addition France has
financed the military organizations Of
these states. which together keep in
hand armies aggregsting 100000 men
Needless to say, the peoples Of these
countries sharing French fears growing
ont Of either German or italian circum-
stances, share also French resolve In
the matter OF disarmament