Evening star., 1932-03-07
DEATH Of BRAND
IS BLOW TO PEACE
Practical IdeaIism and Peace
full Intentions Needed at
Geneva and Paris.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

The death of Aristide BRAND, the
veteran French foreign secretary, comes
as sad blow to the world. Today,
more than ever, his practical idealism
and genuine desire for peace was needed
at Geneva and in Paris.
BRAND undoubtedly was the most be-
loved politician in France. He started
his career, like most men in French
politics, as lawyer, and became rapid
ly popular with the French people, not
so much because of his advanced ideas,
but on account of his remarkable ora
torical talents and his admirable voice
When he got on the tribune of the
French Chamber and started his cello" :"
as his voice was called by the French
newspapers, friends and foes alike could
not help listening. as they would have
listened to a great opera star.
One of the favorite pastimes of the
members of the French Chamber is to
interrupt an orator when he says things
some section of the house does not like
| One must remember that there are
always some 16 different parties repre-
sented in the French Chamber. Shouts,
barks, banging with the tops of the
desks and other such noises invariably
interfere with the political leaders.
DtcdkS lOOSG
when the friends of the speaker try to
protect him, and a free-for-all fight is
not unusual when the speech is of real
consequence. Very seldom did this
happen in the case of BRAND The
Deputies usually were so enraptured
with the manner in which he delivered
his speeches that they considered it a
sacrllege against art to interrupt him
Rendered Services to France.
But BRAND not only was the greatest
orator of his time; he was a genuine
patriot, who on innumerable occasions
rendered tremendous services to his
country
He was a Socialist when he first
started in politics Like the rest of his
countrymen, he was an ardent believer
in peace and was determined that
France must fight to the bitter end in
the World War. But when the war
was over. BRAND applied all his ener-
gies, all his thoughts, all his influence
to the establishment of a permanent
peace. He was an ardent believer in
the League of Nations which he con-
sidered the only organization which
could prevent the repetition of the
1914 catastrophe.
He also believed Frances security was
greatly dependent ON a genuine under
standing with her former enemy, Ger
many. and, together with the late DR..
Streseman, did his utmost to bring a
reapproachment between these two
countries.
The two foreign secretaries got to-
gether at Thoiry. a small town in
France, and laid the foundation of a
Franco-German understanding Later
he conceived the idea of a non-aggres-
sion and mutual support pact between
Germany, France, Italy and Great Brit
ain, and was the chief architect of the
Locarno pact, which removed for a
while any danger of trouble between
those four countries.
Blow to Pacifists.
The death Of Dr. Streseman was a
severe blow to Europes pacifists. BRAND
realized Germany could not easily find
a successor with the same prestige and
goodwill to succeed Streseman and put
into force his ideas He was afraid that
soon or late extreme nationalist ele-
ments across the Rhine would gain the
upper hand and his entire peace work
would be jeopardized. To avoid this he
conceived the idea of the United States
of Europe, hoping that if the European
states we're drawn together by common
economic interests they would forget
the political issues which have followed
the Versailles treaty, and stabilization
of Europe would follow. His plans were
shattered by the Austro- German tariff
union, which, although it failed to be-
come an accomplished fact, made the
French people suspicious of Germanys
ultimate aims.
BRAND was the originator of the
outlawry of war pact. The idea was
brought to him by S. o. Levinson,
Chicago lawyer, and a friend of Sena-
for Borahl Levinson called on BRAND
in September. 1923. and suggested such
pact. BRAND replied that nothing
would be dearer to France than to es-
tablish relations of permanent friend
ship with the United States, and sent |
Immediately note to the then Ameri- !
can Secretary of State, Frank Kellogg |
The State Department examined care
fully Brands proposition and decided |
it would be more advantageous for |
everybody If such pact, instead of be- |
ing limited to two powers, should be |
extended into an international inStru- |
ment of peace. BRAND adopted en- |
Enthusiastically Mr. Kellogg's suggestion /
and the BriandKellogg pact came into !
being some 10 months later
BRAND died a broken-rsarted man. /
In spite of his struggles, in spite of his |
clever diplomacy. during the last five |
months of his life he saw his two prin- !
cipal peace instruments, the BRAND |
Kellogg pact and the League of Nations. |
gravely endangered by the conflict |
which had broken out in the Far East. !
I0ius Associated Press