Evening star., 1932-02-14
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.

- ENEVA.-For the first time in
the history of the League of
Nations the full assembly is
~ about to be convoked to try
to halt a war, namely, the
Sino-Japanese conflict. The decision
is taken. China itself asked the League
to convoke the assembly Immediately in
note delivered Friday
Nobody believes that the assembly
can actually settle the conflict. where
the council so obviously failed. But the
small states are restive They feel that
the big powers have failed to under
stand that what is at stake is not
merely peace in the Far East, but the
worlds entire peace organization and
even the immediate future of Europe.
There is widespread disapprobation
that the council has apparently allowed
the negotiations to pass into the hands
of the United States Great Britain and
France independently of the League.
There will therefore. probably be some
anxious speeches from the small states
when the assembly meets
Condemnation of Japan Seen.
There is talk of solemn resolution
condemning Japan's aggression and ap-
pealing to Japan to respect its sigma
ture to the covenant of the League, the
iANAICSS dIlli-NdI pilL anu lllC IlIIlC-
power China treaty. There is even talk
OF the aSsemblys recommending its
members to break diplomatic relations
with Japan. Spain. it is intimated. has
been ready to do this for some time on
the simple grounds of international
morality
Meanwhile there is reliable informa-
ton that the British government is be-
ginning to understand that the issues
in this Sino-Japanese conflict far eX-
ceed Manchuria and Shanghai. 1t is
beginning to understand that the pres
tige of the western powers throughout
Asia, including India. is seriously
threatened and that if the peoples con-
tlnue to lose confidence in the League,
and especially in the big powers. as they
are now doing, not only will disarma-
ment be impossible. but international
anarchy based solely on the rule of
force is the immediate outlook
Great Britain therefore for the first
time begins to be in a mood to act
Its only hesitation is said to be doubt
whether the United states will back
Whatever steps the League, unde-
British impulsion, may decide to take
All this means that the statesmen here
assembled from every part OF the world
for the disarmament conference are
realizing what was pointed out from the
outset in these dispatches: That dis
armament without first making political
peace is literally out of the question.
Basis of Political Peace.
Political peace is generally agreed to
oeoend on three present issues:
|. The Sino-Japanese conflict
?. The French-Italian dispute
3. The French-German-Pol dis
pute over treaty revision.
SWedenS dele0afe Sfreecol
point that mere technical disarma-
ment agreement Is not enough. He
said:
There must also be a political rap
procurement between the different
powers and there must be a settlement
OF the great problems of reparations
and international debts.' which, he
added, affect almost all the nations.
Already in the private conversations
these various problems are being at
tackled. For the moment the Sino-
japanese issue dominates ALL Unless
peace can be re-established in the Far
East nobody seriously thinks that dis
armament can succeed. Therefore re-
newed efforts to re-establish this peace
are impending
But. in addition, the French and
Italians are beginning to talk. Brazil.
Chile and Argentina on the one hand
and the Danubian states on the other,
1t seems. are negotiating regional un-
derstandlngs, and in the course of pri-
vate talks between German Chancellor
Heinrich Bruening. French War Min
lister Andre Tardieu and British For
eign Minister Sir John Simon, a new
reparatlons conference on a new basis
next June has been virtually agreed
upon.
In other words, Geneva for the mo-
ment has become the political center of
the world.
Disarmament Farley Starts Well.
The World Disarmament Conference
IN the opinion of all the delegates, has
started unexpectedly we'll. Many doors
have been opened. but none have been
closed. There already are sufficient
grounds for a moderately successful
negotiation. Hopes are mounting and
the possibilities are numerous.
One thing already is clear, namely
that the conference thus far has been
completely dominated by qualitative as
compared with quantitative disarma-
ment. This means that 1t is proposed
to divide ornaments into offensive and
defensive and to abolish, as far as pos
sible, those considered offensive.
The following, it is suggested, should
either be abolished altogether or re-
duced in size: Capital ships. airplane
carriers, planes, submarines, heavy