The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-07-23
RESPITE GIVEN
EUROPE ONLY
IS 'BREATHER'
Future ParleyS Are Seen
Necessary to Insure
Permanence.
FRANCE KEY TO PEACE
Cock of the Walk Abroad
and Holds Control of
Disarmament.
BY WILLIAM PHILLIP SIMMS
Scripps-Howar Foreign Editor


SerippS- Howard Foreign Editor
LONDON, July 23.-Scared and
tottering Europe has been given an
other respite through the Efforts Of
the conferences Of statesmen, but it
is a respite only.
Not just one, but number Of in
ternational conferences, ranging
from two-power parleys to gather
ings Of world proportions must fol-
low this one-and quickly-if the
espite now granted is to be Of the
slightest permanent value.
Admittedly, it was the epidemic
of fear resulting from old world
quarrels, plus the rabid and rapid
| ly increasing nationalism in Ger
many and elsewhere that put Ger
many on the toboggan and threat
ened others with her. Those perilS
remain as virulent as ever and I'M
less rooted out by world diplomacy,
the situation a year or so hence
will be even more dangerous than
now.
Arms Farley Must Succeed
First, France and Germany must
complete the understanding begun
in Paris and continued here. This
is fraught with immense, but not
impossible, difficulties.
Second, 1t has become all the
more imperative that the interna-
tional disarmament conference
meet in February and that it sue
coed. Failure now would spell dis
aster beside which that recently
threatening the world was nothing.
Third, revision of the whole ques-
ton OF war debts and separations
generally is regarded as an indis-
pensable part Of the scheme for
world rehabilitation.
These things as we'll as the meas
ures provided for here are seen as
essential, if the London paIliatives
are to be transformed into cure.
France Is Key
In all these things, France looms
as the key. That perhaps is the
most outstanding fact of the fever
lsh conferences in Paris and Lon
don. Talk of America and Britain
saving the situation without France
is utter nonsense. Say or do what
they please, France is on top of the
world and the cock of the European
walk-not England, and Europe will
rise or fall depending on the way
in which France plays her cards.
This is extremely distasteful to
Britain, but the wheel of fortune
has turned and today, France is it.
After the United States, France
is the biggest repository of gold in
the world. 1t is the strongest mill
tary and air power 1t has the
largest navy of any continental
power, and nowhere does France in
tend to yield an inch, if yielding
Weakens her power. relatively
speaking.
Doesn't Desire Collapse
France does not desire the col
lapse of Germany. On the con-
trary the masses desire rap
proachment. But France refuses to
help put Germany on her feet if
after she gets on her feet, Germany
will be able to use her strength to
defeat France.
Similarly, France favorS a reduc-
ton in ornaments, but not if it
leaves her relatively weaker than
she Is now. Here, as before, her
position is that either the worlds
peace machinery must be strength
ened until threatened nations can
be safeguarded promptly against
wilful attack, or she must maintain
defense capable of doing so for her
self.
World Is Linked
President Hoover has visioned the
world as all bound together. When
one nation suffers, all have hard
times. The lesson Of the London
conference is that without world
cooperation, little can be accom-
plished
Unless the United States does her
full share in international negotia-
tons ahead, assumes the RESPONSE
bilities implied in the Kellogg pact
outlawing war, helps strengthen the
present peace machinery and so
forth, the breathing spell which
Hoover gave the world will leave
things worse than before.