Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-30
Peace Across the Rhine?

snttes shall We have that six months
later we shall not BE- asked to nsaks
stiH further concessions and sacrifices
and dr4% up, under tins guidance Of an
eminent American expert, fourth or
a fifth plan?'
There you have an Illustration Of the
Frenchman's lack Of confidence
The same might BE- said sbout the
LocsrTo agreement. The Locarno sgree-
Rent, signed in 1925. waS for tbs most
part the work CT the late Herr Strese-
mann. who engaged his country In 1t
only as far as he thought wise and just
The SgreeTll-nt practically settles the
question Of GeTBany's western frontiers.
and al the Western European countries
pledged themselves to consider these
frontiers as iFrevocAbfy fixed N0w,
quite recently Germany and Belgium
adopted a convention settling minor
details concerning thetr respective Dor
ders. and when the Reichstas had to
ratify the convention It saw At to state.
The ratification does not imply the
remuneration BY Germany Of the two
small cities. Eupen and MalmedY. IN
eluded IN Belgfsn territory" 80. Of
course, Belgians are asking today. What
about the LoeaFno agreement? Il IL
already nul1 and void7 Is Germany
repudisting Stresenanns pIedge?r
Here. again, you have lack OF con-
Adenee.
ABschEoss Also Obstacle.
Last but not least comes the So
called customs agreement between Ger
many and Austria, which exploded like
bomb in = blue sky and resulted In
trial before the Hague Court 1t
might be argued that Germany was
free TO sign such an agreement. but
there seems little doubt that Austria
was not, because IN 1922 Austria, ask
ing for international financial assist
ance. siened at Geneva Under the aus
pieces OF the League Of Nations a pledge
that she would abstain from al nego-
tiStions, all economic and financial ar
rangements Of nature TO compromise
directly or indirectly her independence.
Austria signed the pledge freely for the
reason that she needed money. After
having got the money she broke tins
pledge.
Under such conditions what conf
oence can you henceforth expect Euro
pean countries 20 have in any interna-
,ional loan whatever? What hope can
YOU have that they will reply TO a
fresh call from the League to relieve
any country financially OF help another
economically?
one often asks. What are the needs
OF Europe?" The answer Is easy
Europe needs confidence And there
Is no confidence when contract which
has been freely signed il torn TO pieces.
That shakes faith In all contracts, both
materiSl and moral
Lasting Peace Depends on Both.
Edousrd Herriot. former premier OF
France and leader of tho Radical So
eisiit opposition in the French Cham
Der wno Is far from 2 nationalist or
militarist. was unanimously cheered
when he ssid recently. 1T is because
am an ardent pacifist that ] insist
on the loyal observation OF freely signed
international contracts. II there is no
respect for such contracts there Is no
feeling Of security for any nation II
there is no feeling Of security there
Is M feeling Of peace.
OF course the French are too sensible
"a maintain that treaties must be ex-
scuted through all eternity. But they
consider that II treaties can b. changed
or altered otherwise than b. the consent
Of the signatories, then the very basis
Of international Law W collapse. They
consider, too, that II a treaty freely
signed in 1880 is thrown into the
waste-paper basket In 1891 (which
seems very likely to b. the case with
the Young plan) there is no stability
70 be expected from international agree
nentS. And IL there Is no stability
there cen be no security.
Shall / conclude? The conclusion
IL obvious. II a lasting reconciliation
is to take place between France and
Germany land for the sake OF the
worlds peace 1t must take place.
double demonstration IS necessary:
France, Of course. has to demonstrate
her good will and must prove, con-
trary 10 the opinion Of so many people
that she docs not want 10 exact f:gidly
her pound OF, flesh from the defeated
nation OF 1918; but Germany has 20
prove that concessions win not be =
pTeteSs for her to ask still more con-
cessions and that treaties freely signed
by her will not shortly b. constantly
repudiated. Good Will must b. met by
good faith. This could be summed uD
IN one word. the eternal word so sweet
70 pronounce and 80 difncuft 70 realize:
Confidence.