Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-08
OUTLOOK ISDARK FOR REAL
RESULTS AT ARMS FARLEY
Doubts Raised After LavaI's Visit-United
States to Have Plans in Shape by
End of Year.


ceeds ours.
The opinion Of our leading statesmen
Is that European disarmament must
follow and cannot precede the settle
ment of political problems with which
America Is concerned only indirectly.
The principal ones are problems which
exist between various nations Of Europe,
like those between France and Ger,
many, France and Italy, Germany and
Poland, Jugoslavia and Italy, etc. These
problems have been described as "bilat-
eral problems between a pair of ma
tons
The views expressed by one of the
Spokesman for the administration will
give clear indication of the diff1cul-
ties confronting the coming general
disarmament conference.
ITO give an idea Of what tremen-
dous task lies in front of this confer
ence," he said, these nations in Europe
are keeping up their ornaments very
problems, and until they are solved or
progress has been made in solving them
1t is going TO be uphill work getting
down the ornaments"
The problems to which the Spokes-
man referred have not been solved, nor
has any great progress been made to-
ward reaching solution.
Nor are conditions in the Far East
more favorable. Recent events there
have tended to destroy what little con-
fldence existed in the instruments of
peace created since the Great War, as
well as mutual confidence between ma
tons. 1t will be an interesting spec
tacle to observe the statesmen of the
world assembled in Geneva, there to
decry war and laud the peace machin-
cry they have created as substitute
for 1t while one of those participating
is resorting to war as its instrument of
national policy to further its ambitions
in the Far East. The possibility of
achieving any success under present
world conditions seems remote.
Any further scaling down of our own
ornaments can have no effect in reach
ing a real general disarmament. Here
again this spokesman expressed very
clearly the situation:
IF we should wipe out our entire
Army and sink our entire Navy-we
have already maze our Army SO small
that it is negligible in the eyes Of Eu-
rope-if we should wipe It out Alto
gether, would 1t make any difference
in the questions between Germany and
Poland over the Polish Corridor. or be-
tween France and Germany over that
question or other questions?"
See New Arms Race.
Some of the European diplomats 60
further than this. They see, If not an
actual menace to the peace of the world
in the case of failure of the Geneva
conference, at least renewed armament
race. Their reasoning Is based on the
results of the London Naval Conference
of 1929.
That conference was summoned
mainly to co away with the Anglo
American naval rivalry, which had been
increasing ever since the failure of the
Geneva conference in 1927. Besides
Japan, France and Italy were asked to
join the London naval negotiations.
There was q latent rivalry between
these two countries since the Wash
ington conference of 1922, but public
opinion In both countries was not aware
Of this. The meeting between the
French and the Italians at the London
conference was like the collision Of two
limited trains. Within q week after the
opening Of the conference public opin-
ion in France and in italy became aware
of situation it had never realized be-
fore. The press began discussing the
pros" and cons" Of the parity ques-
ton, and public opinion, spurred by
nationalist leaders, became nflamed.
The result was that the French and
the Italians left London without an
agreement. The former decided not to
let the Italians have as large a navy
as theirs; the latter determined to build
ship for ship and gun for gun" with
the French. Mussolini was compelled
to set aside all his plans for Italy's
economic reconstruction and divert the
money available for that purpose en-
new naval constructions.
The writer does not agree with the
statement of an important foreign naval
expert who told him during the Lon
don Naval Conferences: Let's pray
that after this there will be no more
disarmament conferences, because II
there are the next one will undoubtedly
lead us into war"
Another Side Of Picture.
The rank and file of the people are
not warlike, and these conferences, II
adequately handled, may bring home tc
the minds of individuals, If properly
informed, the abSurdity Of excessive
ornaments, which in turn may lead tc
wars. But there Is another side of the
picture if viewed from another stand
point.
Some observers see greater progress
toward disarmament as result OF the
seven-power conference in London thi'
summer than was acnleVeo Dy Jne Lon
con Naval Conference.
Only through mental disarm ament
! they say. will real disarmament ever
become an actually. The good feeling
with which the economic conference II
London was held, and with which thu
different nations left that conference
resulted in the bilateral conference!
which occurred thereafter. namely, thu
conferences between Germany ant
France. France and ITALY, and Ger
many and Italy. During these bilatera
conferences the political problems wer'
discussed under a friendly atmosphere
Although no positive results can b.
reported yet. there is no doubt tina
these meetings, where politics ant
economies are discussed almost in TIT
same breath, are more likely to Civ
better results than the pure politica
and technical conferences.