Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-23
Organized Security"

UrganlZeQ security.
Until M. Laval brings himself to
specify either his purposes or his hopes
In washington, the public statements
following his arrival on American soil
yesterday remain the sole indication Of
what is at the back Of the French
statesnan's head. He used at New York
4 phrase that is Enthusiastically illuni-
mating.
France is peace-loving said M.
Laval But We set great store by our
security Governments and peoples
should understand that security cannot
be expressed merely in words Of hope.
It should be organized" Then he sup
plemented: IF France and the United
States can agree and unite In an ever
increasing cooperation, we may look
forward to better things"
In stressing the necessity Of not
merely hoping for security M. Laval
psraphrases thought once uttered by
will H. Hays while Republican national
chairman In politics" said that
master machinist, things don't Just
happen. They have to be brought
about" So, contends NJ Laval It Is
with security. 1t will not do for France
simply to aspire to security. Something
has to be done about It, It Should
be organized" declares our distinguished
guest from the Seine.
From that general statement 1t seems
plainly to be inferred that M. Laval
will propose American participation in
organized security" It Is persistently
reported. though not as yet with any
sanction from NJ Laval. that he would
be satisfied with the much discussed
consultative pact-a pledge by this
country to sit in counsel with other
governments and consider methods for
preservation Of peace whenever or
wherever II Is threatened. Since he left
Paris still another form Of consultative
agreement has been attributed to NJ.
Laval According to this scheme, the
role Of the United States would be
arnpfifed to include Withholding sinews
Of war from any nation adjudged guilty
Of preaching the peace.
What the French want most of all Is
no secret. They would like an outright
guarantee by powerful countries such as
the United States and Great Britain to
rush to Frances assistance in the case
she is attacked. President Wilson
brought home from Paris in 1919 tri-
partite treaty 10 this categorical effect.
The Senate scorned 1t. Great Britain
had made 1t a condition Of her ad-
herence that the United States should
frst ratify the treaty. AS a practical
idealist, M. Laval knows there is as
little, possibility Of that kind Of or
ganized security" today as there was
twelve years ago. as far as America Is
concerned.
The consultative pact Is evidently the
one sort Of peace-keeping American CO.
operation which M. Laval believes to
be within the sphere of attainment. At
certain period of the 1880 London
Naval Conference. when the French
were demanding q consultative ar
IdHkcHlSHb as Tie price Oh CONCESSIONS
to Italy on parity, Secretary Stimson
was not averse to the idea. 1t was only
when the cables from Washington
flashed senatorial resentment of such a
device that it was strapped NJ Laval
Is aware Of President Hoover's eager
ness for disarmament and Of his desire
to promote world economic welfare
Therefore 1t is not a very wild guess to
hazard that when NJ Laval got down
to business in Washington today his
position IN . nutshell was Give us a
consultative pact and France is ready
to talk disarmament, reparations re-
duction and all the rest. of It,"
M. Laval has one argument with
which to counter possible American OBJ
1ections to consultation. He is able to
recall that two years ago the United
States consulted with Europe and Japan
to prevent a Russian Chinese war in
Manchuria This very month America
Is consulting with Europe for the pur-
pose Of preventing a Sino- japanese war
in the same region. President Hoover
terms all this mobilization of world
opinion" Premier Laval may plead
that it is Just another name for con-
Bultation