Evening star., 1932-07-10
Britain COmfOrted
By Lausanne Events
BY A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON, July 9.-Out of the Lau-
same Conference has grown a uni
versal admiration for the success Of
Premier Ramsay Macdonald Of Eng
land in his role Of honest broker be-
tween France and Germany. To Mac
Donald is given the credit for saving
the reparations conference in its dark
est hours.
Thursday Of this week was the black
est day since the conference began and
until late that night failure seemed i'm
mlnent. The danger of a breakdown
arose in regard to the war guilt issue.
Chancellor Franz Won Papen Of Ger,
many insisting that if he were unable
to take back to Germany complete
cancellation of reparations he must
have compensation in the form of OBJ
liberation OF the war guilt clause Of the
versailles treaty and assurance in re-
gard to the equal status of Germany In
the matter of armaments
~
The latter claim clearly was outside
the scope Of the Lausanne Conference.
but abrogation of the war guilt clause
was relevant to discussion of repara-
tlons. Premier Edouard Herriot of
France was adamant, however, in re-
sisting even the discussion of any polit-
lcal concessions. Both he and Won
Papen were influenced by fear of pub
nc opinion at home, and it seemed In
eVltable that the conference would
break down on the merely academic is
sue OF responsibility for the war.
Into this breach stepped Ramsay
Macdonald, and, through his unrennit-
ting efforts as go-between, by midnight
the conference had been saved simply
by the expedient of eliminating the war
guilt clause except as an historical
issue.
With the elimination of the war o1Iilt
question, the differences between
France and Germany narrowed to a
mere matter of whether the token
money payable by Germany should be
f130,O00,O0O or f20o, 900 900, and it was
impossible to suppose the conferences
would be permitted to fail on such a
relatively trivial consideration. Now
reparations are dead and. after the
evolution Of decent interment formula
this week end witnesses the most mo-
mentous step toward world recovery vet
taken since the war.
ISliS synchronizes with the indication
OF general approval of the Hoover plan
at Geneva, which has given new life
U the Disarmament Conference. In
n;reral circles here much dissatisfac-
ton Is expressed at Stanley Baldwin's
announcement in the House of Corn
mons Thursday Of the governments
alternative proposals. Public opinion
undoubtedly would have preferred gen
eral Endorsement of Hoover's proposed
clean cut Of one-third in the scale OF
armements, leaving the question of
modihcatlon for detailed consideration.
The British government is felt to have
lost an opportunity for a great gesture
which would have profoundly impressed
world opinion.
x X
The chief criticism is directed against
the alternative naval proposals. It)is
argued that while Hoover suggests an
immediate all-around reduction of cap-
ltaI ships by third and reduction of
aircraft carriers, cruisers and destroyers
by quarter, Baldwin proposes to do
nothing TILL five years hence and then
reduce the size of capital ships. In
other words, the American scheme
would economic million tons before
the British scheme began to operate.
1t is true, as the London Times points
out, that the ultimate saving Of ton
mage under the British plan would be
greater than under that of Hoover. but
the critics reply that immediate relief
is what the world wants and the effect
Of Hoover's clean-cut plan in creating
an atmosphere Of confidence in the
world is its supreme merit.
4
The case for the Baldwin scheme
rests, as the Times says, on the excep-
tional requirements for policing an en-
pire which is scattered all over the
earth, and even the Manchester guard
ian admits the Hoover plan fayors thu
American preference for big cruisers
and presses hard on our reasonable de-
sire for more and small cruisers
But these are matters for negotiation
which should have followed unoualifed
British acceptance of the princinle ~
the Hoover plan. Economists take the
view that the American proposal holds
The field and that no smaller measure
Of disarmament can be regarded ss a
snce.
But. in spite of dissatisfactions the
week closes hopefully, with Lausanne
paving the way to the coming World
economic Conference and the dis
armament issue no longer In danger Of
being wrecked
kconsFighh xeaa.A ,