Evening star., 1932-02-21
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
GENEVA, February 20.-Despite its
complete debacle in the Sino-JapaneSe
meSs-"war in everything but name"
as the Council heard it described re-
Gently by j. H. Thomas, British minister
Of domin;ons. in proclaiming joint
American action at Shanghai-the
mament Conference as its golden
achievement. Succeed or fail. here are
siXty-odd nations gathered under
League auspices for the supreme effort
yet put forth by men in the troublous
quest for peace. Sir Eric DIummond,
secretary general beams with a par
dOnable pride as he surveys the scene
that unfolds itself before his place on
the presidential roStrum whenever the
Conference is IN plenary session. Ge-
neva. 1882, may be foredoomed to fu-
tility But it will be glorious futility.
and the lack of success will be laid
where it belongs-at the feet OF the ma
tions-and not chalked up against the
League. The secretariar on the Qual
Woodrow Wilson is in some such frame
of mind these days as Gen. Won Room,
Prussian minister Of war during the
early hours of the Francl-German con-
flict of 1871. Won Room was encoun-
tered by a friend, who found him IN
sporting costume, bound for fishing
expedition. The friend expressed amaze
ment. We'll, why not?" calculated
Gn. Won Room My work is done. It's
up to the army now" The League 1or
five years has been preparing for the
arms conference. Its preparatory COM
mission has sWeated SINCE 1927. the
rest is up to the nations.
hot
League would give lot to have the
United States join 1t. There's no shao-
oW of doubt that we could get in on
our own terms. Until We get ready to
come in, the League is more than con-
tent to have our cooperation on the
lines on which it has been sought and
given for the past 10 years. We are par
ticipating. for example, in the arms
conference.-the best and biggest thing
the League ever undertook-as full
fiedgedly as if We were a dues-paying,
voting member of the club. Senator
Swanson is the cynosure of all League
eyes at Geneva. Everybody is aware
that the sole representative OF the
United States Congress on the confer
ence scene sits in the body which has 1t
in its power to bring the U. S. A. into
the League or keep it out. The Senator
from Virginia is a Wilsonian and
pro-Leaguer. But he's not spreading
any illusions around as to the proba-
bility of our coming in" What Mr..
Swanson is saying to secretarlat moguls,
when they buttonhole him on the sub
ject. is that the more the League does
to Justify its pretentions to being
peace-preserving body, the larger will
become the possibility that some sunny
day Uncle Sam will apply for member
ship.
Meantime. the League, like Ole Man
River, Just keeps rollin' along. Physl-
cally, it bears every evidence of pros
perity. The International Labor Office,
one of its main offshoots, lnhabits
granite palace built for the ages The
League itself is by way of completing
new secretariat headquarters that will
be one of the largest buildings in Eu-
rope when it is is finished. On the eve
of the conference, when Sir Eric Drum
mond announced his resignation as Sec
retary general to take effect in 1888.
rumors were current that the Slno-
Japanese episode, having demonstrated
the "impotency' of the League, was
back of his decision to quit Office. AS
matter of fact, Drummond intimated a
year ago that he would retire at the end
of IL years service He is still carried
on the active list of the British dlplo-
matte service. is eligible for a blue-rlb-
bon Ambassadorship and is anxious to