Evening star., 1932-03-06
GENEVA PARLEY FAILURE
HELD ALL BUT ADMITTED
Europe Merely Seeking Broad, Mean
ingless Formula on Which to
Base Adjustment.

/ that the British leader, Sir John
| Simon, is patiently afraid OF slolng
openly against the French lest ne
foredoom the anticipated progress al
| Lausanne.
An agreement to fix all armament
expenditures at their present level 1oI
number of years is not impossible, II
the formulae covering the political issues
| mentioned can be found. But even
here, more than one government has
taken care to pad its pending oudge'
to a point which leaves a quite ade-
quate cushion for real expansion, since
the fall in world prices has, in fact, the
same effect. This will be called limlta-
ton and a celebrated achievement, but
if it is true, as the Hoover aumlnlS-
tration has insisted, that Europe is
bankrupting itself by colossal expendl-
lures on armaments, then to perpetuaIe
these expenditures at their present
maximum level for five years is indeed
a quaint means of remedying the evil
The simple truth about the confer
ence up to date is that 1t assembled
because, while all European statesmen
feared its convocation, all were even
more fearful of assuming responsibility
for its postponement. Having assem-
bled, 1t became instantly dominated by
fear of the Eastern crisis, which has
given an appearance OF futinty and
even Of righteousness. Now, after q
month and a half, the conference is
faced by the fact that real disarma-
ment or actual agreement on the I'M
portant issues have passed out OF the
picture.
Seek Best Way Out.
The problem then is how to go home
Tardieu must find something to snow
for his grandiose project of restored
League; Bruening seeks something to
satisfy the hopes awakened by Ger
many's demand for equality; Grandl
requires something to please the Fascist
insistence upon naval parity. None OF
these things, in reality, have anything
to do with disarmament or even limi-
tation-all are matters of domestic
politics. What counts is whether all
three can get together and manufacture
some triangular, face-saving formula,
or will all be condemned ultimately to
fall apart into an open quarrel, which
Is always poSsible-even imminent-at
such moments?
While nominally the British govern
ment would like to see a real step
taken toward reduction Of armament
expenditures, practically 1t is concerned
as to the outbreak of fresh continental
struggles. If a result is achieved by
the formula that there will be a Brit
ish Endorsement goes without saying.
That leaves only the gallant little
American band, becoming more and
more pathetic In its isolation. actually
insisting upon disarmament. Literally,
this group is wandering about in fog
of Continental politics.
The conference, having proved that
Europe cannot now agree upon any
thing important, is now approaching a
test as to whether the great Continental
rivals can agree upon something mean
ingless and then adjourn, leaving things
no worse than they were. We talked
at Paris of peace by understanding;
now the slogan is peace by formula.
Formerly there was a search for an
enduring peace; now the motto is
sufficient unto the day is the peace
thereof
A slight but still significant basis
for a larger optimism concerning the
general situation Is discoverable in the
apparent reluctance Of the statesmen
of rival nations to invite applause at
home while there is spectacular fighting
abroad. You feel here in Geneva a
great growing lassitude disclosed by
statesmen, doubtless indicative of home
conditions. Even Germans are far less
passionate over wrongs than year ago,
while their neighbors are less violent
for their rights That is why we may
find the magic formula and yet go home
still keeping our arms incact but with
no new incitation to use them.
(CopJTight, 1922