Evening star., 1931-12-13
CERMANY'S CRISIS is SEEN
In FEBRUARY REICHSTAC
For the Present "Nazis'' and "Reds" Are
Content to Talk But Not Act and
Take Responsibility.

had hissed a former French prime min
lster, Painleve, recognized in France as
one Of the most moderate and liberal
politicians, because he had repeated
the familiar French thesis that security
came before reduction in armies. In
the present sensitive state of the
french mind this constituted an af-
front and a challenge, which was an
swered with characteristic promptness.
The answer was intended to give one
more warning of the position French
representatives must take at the forth
coming Geneva conference.
French feeling wss, moreover. fur
ther excited By the reDercussionS of
British conditions upon France. France
Is st last very a2utely feeling tie pinch
Of hard times. Just as British catas-
tropne was precipitated by German
financial collapse, French prosperity
and even stability are being aSsailed by
British breakdown. France has lost
very heavily by reason of the abandon
ment OF the gold standard by the
British and even more by the conse-
quenceS Of the recent tariff laws in
Britain. In fact, a tariff war between
Britain and France is actually In prog
reSS.
The French believe that German ma
tionaliSm Is about to get control of the
Reich and they still see in Macdonald
and Hoover foreign statesmen eager to
disarm France in the face of a new
peril. They see their present financial
and economic crisis as due to British
and American financial support of a
Germany which in their eyes deliber-
ately courted bankruptcy to escape the
treaty Of Versailles in a word, French
public opinion is becoming intransi-
geant ana dom estic conditions within
France are exacerbating national feeling
AS we approach the turn of the year
therefore, it Is necessary, however un-
pleasant, to face the fact that the Eu-
ropean situation is rapidly disentegrat-
ing This is true financially, economic
ally and politically. The curse of all
the many contacts" between public
men, which have filled the press since
the sensational journey of the Germans
to Paris last Summer, lies precisely in
the fact that these have given the i'm
preston that something constructive
had been accomplished. that behind the
scenes progress was being made toward
solution.
Politicians Separated.
When, however, one comes in contact
with the public men supposed to be
working out solutions, it Is to find them
in state Of approximate despair, con-
Tossing privately that they are helpless
either because of domestic political
conditions or similar foreign political
complications. The truth Is not, for ex-
ample, that British, American and
French finance and craftsmanship are
collaborating upon program of relief
for the world. but that there is a SEEM
ingly impossible gulf between the views
of the politicians in the three countries,
which makes progress impossible.
Six months ago, returning from
long and extended tour of the Conti-
nent, / wrote in my syndicate articles
that the whole financial and economic
system of the Continent was breaking
down because of political factors That
was in May. Since then events have
justified every statement then assailed
as unfounded pessimism. Now, return
ing to Washington and establishing
my contacts with foreign diplomats and
domestic public men, I find that the
situation remains unchanged. Every
one is watching Germany with appre-
hension and even with fear Congress,
which now is in session, seems in a
mood which will paralyze any such far
going and courageous action as the
situation visibly requires.
The key of the European situation re-
mains in Berlin. The chances of Euro
pean recovery in any useful time de-
pends upon the survival of the Bruen-
ing cabinet That survival is, in turn,
predicated upon the double circum-
stances of aid from abroad and support
at home. And. so far, both conditions
remain unfulfilled.
Today 1t is difficult to see how some
form of explosion can be avoided in
February when the Reichstag reassem-
bles. and at the same time the question
of frozen" credits must be dealt with.
(Copyrght, 1e3l)