Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-18
GRAND| VIEW SEEN
AID TO ARMS CUT
Italy Ready to Confer on
Means to Guarantee
-, Safety of France.
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Continued From First Page)
of security which is not going to be
mere words.
There are two ways of approaching
this subject. One is the revival of the
covenant of the League of Nations.
which provided some definite action in
case one of the members was attacked;
the other is more restricted agreement
among all the Mediterranean powers.
Either of these instruments is reported
to be satisfactory to France, and Italy
seems willing to advocate and partici-
pate in either in order to secure some
effective result next Spring at Geneva.
Opposed in 1925.
The covenant of the League, which
absolutely guarantees the security of
the signatories of that instrument OF
peace, found little favor when it was
first proposed in 1925 in England The
then prime minister, Ramsay Mac
Donald, agreed to bring 1t before the
House of Commons.
He was compelled. however. to re-
sign shortly afterwards and the Con-
sentative government which succeeded
the Labor cabinet turned down that
proposal because it was considered to
mean too heavy a responsibility for
Great Britain. The Italian and the
French navies were in those days
negligible quantities and the British
have to guarantee Frances security
with the British Navy. Things have
changed since and both Italy and
France today have navies which can
be favorably compared with the British.
Furthermore, six years ago the
finances of France we're in a pre-
cariouS state and the British govern
ment was afraid that in case of trou-
BILE its taxpayers would have to foot
the bill, as they did in the World War.
This situation has been reversed in the
last few months and, in the opinion
of many diplomatic experts. there can
be no serious objection on the part
of the present British cabinet to join
in pact such as the Covenant, If 1t is
satisfactory to France and enables the
other nations of the world to make
substantial cuts in their budget on the
chapter Of national defense.
Willing to Negotiate.
Italy for one, is quite willing to re-
sumo negotiations with the other pow
ers, members of the League, with the
view of guaranteeing Frances security
In this manner and induce her to cut
her ornaments.
The question of Mediterranean pact
has been discussed between France,
Italy and Great Britain during the
Naval Conference in London, but the
British cabinet was opposed to it be-
cause 1t again feared too heavy COM
mitments and no actual advantages for
Great Britain.
The general idea Is that all the
riparian Mediterranean states should
agree among themselves to lend each
other assistance in case one of them
were attacked. 1t Is of course a more
restricted peace instrument and it
mainly alleviates the fear France and
Italy may have for each other.
British View in Doubt.
Whether the British government of
today will find 1t advisable to Join in
either of these pacts is question which
NOBODY can answer at present. The
TACT Us, however, that all nations, with
the exception of France and her allies,
are anxious to cut down expenses as
much as possible, and the burden of
arr -amentS weighs heavily on everybody.
The United States cannot be a party
to either of these two agreements, but
IT can indirectly encourage the other in
terested governments to go ahead and
able to principal European powers to
come to Geneva in a spirit of genuine
desire to reduce ornaments. The lure
OF some really drastic cuts of foreign
war debts by the American Congress in
case the Disarmament Conference is
successful must appeal to most nations,
even to France.
Hope for Friendly Spirit.
Naturally neither the Italian foreign
secretary nor the President Of the
United States imagine that drastic cuts
in disarmament can be made next
February. Their main object is that
the nations which are gathering at
Geneva should get together in friend
1y spirit and make at least a gesture to-
ward disarmament The psychological
effect of such gesture would be great.
The idea of reducing ornaments seems
to be growing in Europe; the rank and
file of the people seem anxious to pay
less heavy taxes, and it begins to dawn
or them that a good deal of their
money is expended on uneconomic mat
Cers, such as warShips and guns. The
governments which believe that the
safety of their countries lies exclusively
in heavy ornaments are endeavoring by
means of publicity to convince their
nationals that those heavy expenses are
essential and any reduction would en-
danger their national existence. So far
this point of view has~prevailed in many
European countries, but it is hoped that
If the first step toward disarmament is
made a better feeling would replace the
present suspicious MOOD of Europe.