Evening star., 1932-05-08
Britain's Anxiety Keen
Despite Borah's Tribute
BY A. @. GARDINER.

LONDON, May 7-Senator Borah's
picture of Great Britain as the only
bright SPOT ON the world horizon Is
more fiattering than reassuring. Rela-
lively, no doubt, the vision is true. The
national government can claim that u
stopped the dry rot and made the posi-
ton of the country Temporarily more
secure.
Unemployment, on the whole, shows
a tendency to decline, while noticeable
improvement in certain industries is re-
ported. The entire absence OF extreme
poverty and of demonstrations OF popu-
lar violence Is q tribute to the working
of the national insurance system, which,
stripped of It's gfossest abuses. serves 10
keep the nation In q hopeful temper.
But the position is fuIl of anxieties,
Apart frcm such specific menaees as
are implied in the still critical situ-
atien in India and President de
Valeras policy of reputation in Ireland,
it is apparent that, failing a marked
change in the drift OF world aHars, 0
catastrophe Is ahead.
The adoption of tariff protection has
plunged the country into maelstFom
of elamoraus conflict of interests with
cut giving a promise of increases in
revenue oampensating for the decline
expert opinion is agreed on the possi-
hilities that the income tax has reached
the point of exhaustion. With provision
for the death duties, the impost amounts
in the case of the very rich to over 70
per cent of income, and this drastic
levy is rapidly exhausting the main
source of national revenue. The only
possibility of fulfilling the balanced
budget forecast therefore lies in such
change in atmosphere as will cure the
paralysis which has befallen werld trade,
1t is this consideration which explains
Prs mier MaeDona!d's intense preeecu-
patton with the fate of the Geneva
Disarmament Conference and the Lau-
S, nne debts conference. The announce
ment that he was compelled this week
to undergo a second operation for g.au-
coma caused the gravest apprehension
that the fact foreshadowed blindness
and his consequent retirement, and the
question Of whether Stanley Baldwin
or Walter Runcimsn, president OF the
Board of Trade, would succeed him was
widely canYassed. But the seriousness
Ct the case was exaggerated and we
have reason to know that Macdonald
decided on the operation now, rather
than later, in order to be sufficiently
recovered to take part in the critical
negotiations at Lausanne and Geneva
next month.
Fortunately the disturbing factor Of
the French and German elections will
have been removed by that time and
the conferences will assemble in more
favorable atmosphere for settlement
than hitherto. especially If, as expected
here. the second ballot in the French
80 Ifc in,
of a government of the Left and sub
stantial change in French policy from
that pursued by Raymond Poincare and
Andre Tardieu.
-
The attitude OF France Is the key to
the success or failure of both confer
ences, and it Is acutely appreciated
here that this issue will decide the
course Of the events of world politics
and especially the position America
will take up in regard to the question
of war debts.
In an admirably balanced article, the
current spectator accepts Senator
reason why America should remit debt
payments due from Europe when the
debtors are spending on almarents
eight times the amount Of thase debt.
arentheticallY, the Spectator rea'i7Gs
Rorah that America leads in the list
Cf armament budgets and gently chides
him for ignoring the enormous addi-
tional burden laid on the debtors by the
fall in prices, but it frankly
admits the validity of the debts and
disavows the idea that the United States
should be expected to give formal
guarantee of their remission. It ex-
presses confidence, however, based on
the drift of influential opinian in
the United States. that II Europe can
make a decisive stride toward disaFma-
ment at Geneva and settle the problem
of reparations finally at Lausanne, the
United States will view the debt quss-
ton In totally new light and do its
part to lift the world out OF the morsss
In which 1t Is at present fiouadsTing
and plant its feet firmly on the road
TO recovered prosperity
tCopyFight, 1897