Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-01
OF LAVAL
VISIT SEEN SMALL
Fundamental Issues Between
France and Germany Are
Unchanged.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.


BY Cable to The star
PARIS, France, October - What
really happened when Premier Pierre
Laval and Foreign Minister Aristide
BRAND of France talked with Chancel-
lor Heinrich Bruening and Foreign
Minister Julius Curtius of Germany in
Berlin?
Did France and Germany come any
nearer to an agreement?
The writer today is in position to
answer those questions. The trip of
the French statesmen undoubtedly re-
llted in a slight improvement in
Franco-German sentiment. But on
fundamental issues. which have sepa-
rated and still separate the two coun-
tries, no progress was made.
Politics was not seriously touched on.
Neither was finance.
Committee Is Meaningless.
The new Franco-German Economic
Cooperation Committee, which vas
the only tangible outcome of the meet
ing, had been agreed upon in advance
1t means nothing in itself. 1t is mere
instrument. or perhaps the symbol of
mutual desire for an understanding
It will be important or not according
as it develops. What 1t can actually
try to do nobody seems to know.
France would like the committee to
remodel the Franco-German CONNER
cial treaty, which is now operating to
Frances detriment, but Germany
would not. Germany would like it to
study the possibility of Franco-Ger-
man customs union, but France would
not.
There is talk of Frances financing
German industries, but this seems a
most unpropitious time for further
credit operations to stimulate industry.
What is needed is more consumption.
not more production. There is talk of
establishing new cartels. But cartels,
whose prime object is always to regu-
late production and fix prices. seem
out of place in a time of world depres-
sion. They simply cannot function.
Finally, there is talk of a Joint pro-
gram of vast public works in both coun-
tries and in the French colonies. This
appears to be a more promising sug-
geStion, but is said to encounter many
practical difficulties
Treaties Main Issue.
The main issue between France and
Germany is that of the peace treaties.
Germany wants revision, France wants
the status quo. Both desire an under
standing. but each wants it on it's own
terms. Thus, under the outward ap-
pearance of friendliness, the Berlin
visit seems to hide the same old quarrel.
French opinion halls the Laval
Bruening meeting because 1t thinks that
Germany can soon be brought by
friendly means to accepting things as
they are. German opinion in the same
way halls the meeting because it thinks
that the French can soon be brought by
friendly means to undertake revision
of the treaties.
AS a matter Of fact, the great Ger
man diplomatic offensive for revision,
which began in the Summer of 1880
and reached its climax in the Austro-
German customs union project, has
broken down and in practice it seems
unlikely that Germany will attempt
to reopen political issues in the near
future. This seems to be clearly stated
in an article that has just appeared
in the Berlin newspaper, Vossiche
Zeitung, by Joachim Stresemann, son
why the German diplomatic campaign
failed, he concludes:
All efforts to realize our aims in
foreign policy without direct under
standing with France are in vain.
That is why it is necessary to return
to the policy of agreement"
Disarmament Looms.
But while territorial questions will
doubtless be allowed to slumber, there
is already looming between France and
Germany another subject of dangerous
discord-namely, disarmament. France
insists that the German military status
was fixed once and for all by the treaty
of Versatile. Germany claims the right
to arm to the French level unless
France disarms to the German level.
Premier Laval and Chancellor Bruening
old not discuss this conflict but it is
that Germany intends soon
TO present to France note on the sub
ject.
For the moment there i, not the
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