Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-19
LAVAL AND HOOVER
MAY CONFER HERE
Visit Next Month Proposed.
CurtiuS Expected to Quit.
Berlin Envoy Relieved.
By PAUL SCOTT MowRER.


nlier Pierre Laval, who is going to Ber-
lin next week end for a talk with
Chancellor Heinrich Brlening Of Ger
many, would probably be willing to go
to Washington soon thereafter for a
talk with President Hoover, it has been
learned
That idea was preached here privately
several days ago. The French reaction
was favorable. M. Laval was privately
consulted and cablegrams were sent to
washington.
Naturally nothing concrete win be
proposed until washington's viewpoint
Is aScertained and the situation has
been thoroughly studied on both sides
OF the Atlant,e, but high hopes that an
invitation viii be issued and the mo-
mentous voyage undertaken are now
abroad. Thee sponsoring the plan
argue as follows:
Many Benefits Foreseen.
Direct diplomacy has become the
fashion. Personal meetings among
heads Of states, begun by President
Hoover and British Prime Minister
Ramsay Macdonald at the Rapidan
River Camp, are now frequent. The
events surrounding the Hoover debt
holiday proposal proved that between
no two states is closer understand
ing necessary than between the United
States, which is generally thought to
be the strongest power in the world,
and France, which is generally thought
to be the strongest power in Europe.
This does not mean that the good
Anglo-American and German-American
relations would be interfered with in
the slightest degree, but only that good
Franco-American relations would be
added
Premier LavaTs simple and almost
brutal straightforwardness and frank
ness would it is thought, appeal to
President. Hoover. The matters dis
cuSsed would include disarmament,
prolongation of the Hoover debt plan,
q possible new debts and reparations
settlement and, in general, measures for
overcoming the increasingly serious
world crisis.
Would Come Next Month.
But time presses. If Premier Laval
Is to make such a long trip he must go
soon. The French Legislature recon-
veneS in November. Only in october
could the French premier find time to
cross the Atlantic.
A week from today Premier Laval and
Foreign Minister Aristide BRAND will
go to Berlin to repay the visit recently
made TO Paris by Chancellor Bruening
and Foreign Minister Julius Curtius.
Not Europe alone, but also our own
without q friendly Franco-German
agreement how can the Hoover debt
plan ever be successfully prolonged?
How can the great disarmament con-
ference ever be brought to successful
conclusion?
Curtins Expected TO Resign.
agreement, but each wants it on its
own terms. Each considers itself in a
stronger position than the other and
neither sees the slightest reason for
giving In. AS Frances terms are still
Numerically opposed to Ger1nanyss
terms, the chances of an immediate
agreement, while not hopeless, are con-
Sidered slight.
Circumstances, moreover, are anything
but suspicious. Not for q long time
has French opinion been so keenly sus-
picious Of all OF Germany,s acts and
motives as today. These suspicious
were whetted afresh only a few days
ago by Herr Curtids In a vigorous speech
on treaty revision at the League of
Nations Assembly.
Herr Curtius in Geneva lost little
time in explaining to NJ. BRAND that
his revisionist speech was intended
mainly for home consumption. He had
been harshly attacked by the Ma
tionalists for the failure of the Austro-
German Customs Union project. He
wanted to defend himself. He wanted
to show the Nationalist that he knows
how to uphold the German causes be-
fore the whole world. This was easier,
as it Is generally understood that i'm
mediately after the French visit he
viii resign.
New French Envoy for Berlin.
Meanwhile in committee he made
partial amends to the French by up
holding NJ. Brands pet scheme for a
European union, and last Thursday
M. BRAND and Herr CurtfuS had q long
private talk about the projected visit.
Tonight French Ambassador Pierre
de Margerie will quit Berlin, where he
has been serving for the last nine years.
Monday morning young, energetic,
new French Ambassador will step from
a train at the Friedrichstrasse Station,
Andree Francois oncet, who has Just
relinquished cabinet post as minister
OF national economy to accept the grave
responsibility Of attempting a Franco
German reconciliation and who is ru-
mored as M Brands successor, sooner
or later, In the French foreign ministry.
M. Francois Poncet will have five days
to prepare for the conversations. Fri
day, according to the latest plans, M.
Laval and NJ. BRAND will take a train
for Berlin accompanied by Or. Leopold
Won Hoesch, German Ambassador to
France, and-the world viii see what
happens.
Pact Revision Is Real Issue.
The real issue which divides France
and Germany. as by an abyss, is re-
vision Of the treaties. Germany wants
the Preparations Cancelled, wants equal
ornaments with France, wants to unite
with Austria ultimately despite the re-
cent decision Of the World Court and,
above all, wants TO regain from Poland
the so-called Polish corridor and upper
Silesia. In addition, Germany would
like to have loan from France.
France wants fulhllment Of the treaty
terms and cooperation for world peace.
It is ready to admit treaty revision
only in minor details and only in so far
as Germany shows a cooperative rather
than a hostile spirit A solution to the
treaty revision problem, according to
the French theory, Is European union,
which would render the question Of
frontiers secondary.
Farley to Be Economic.
II took only a few minutes when M.
Laval and Herr Bruening met in Paris
last July for each to conclude that,
with the best viii in the world. political
and financial discussions In these condi-
items were bound to lead nowhere. In
the famous Calais steamer agreement,
it was decided TO drop financial and
political issues and concentrate on eco
nomic cooperation.
1t is therefore along this line that
the agenda of the French visit to Ber-
lin is being organized. This agenda,
according to present reports, viii be as
follows:
1-Prolongation of the rediscount
credit n.anaNaflar