Evening star., 1932-05-15
VITAL PROBLEMS
FACING ST|MSON
Arms Matter Is 0vershad.
owed by More Immediate
U. S. Matters.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Disappointed and disillusioned by
Geneya's cold reception Of America s
disarmament proposals, Secretary stim-
son returns to his desk at the State
Department tomorrow, to face o
mountain of international problems
pressing the United States. They rival
the grave economic issues now absorb
ing the attention OF Congress and the
administration. In both hennispheres
events are transpiring or imminent
which will call for policy decisions by
this country and will affect business
recovery both here and abroad.
Col Stimson's excursion to Geneva is
not regarded by him as unsuccessful,
because even its negative results, from
his standpoint, help determine Ameri-
cas- attitude toward outstanding inter-
national questions. The Secretary OF
State must inform President Hoover
that the outlook for practical disarma-
ment is extremely bleak. He discovered
that underlying European political con-
ditions, especially those that keep
France and Germany, Germany and
Poland, and Italy and France, from
still too full of bitterness and irrecon-
ciliability TO popularize the idea OF
stacking arms on any appreciable scale.
More Important Probiems,
Secretary Stimson accordingly must
turn his attention to propositions OF
more immediate seriousness than dis
armament. These are the major sub
jects which promise to keep the Secre-
tary of State busy until further notice: F:
/. The Lausanne Reparations Con-
ference In Switzerland, which convenes
in mid-June, Just about the time the
Republican National Convention as
sefnbles in Chicago.
2. The British Empire Tariff Con-
ferenee at Ottawa. Canada, scheduled
to begin its sessions early in July.
8. Immeasurable developments in
the Far East, incident to the rcsump-
tion OF Japanese military operations In
Manchuria and rising Soviet Russian
anxiety over them.
4. The discrimination of Latin Amer
lean republics in South America to
resort to some sort Of Joint action as o
protest against the United States
tariff laws.
Our Government will not be on
cially represented at the Lausanne
Conference, even by an observer. y Us
the purest fiction that Uncle Sam has
no interest In what happens there. The
plain truth is that, despite our absence,
the United States viii be the most i'm
portant factor at Lausanne and be In
everybody's mind from start to finish.
Late repetition of Germany's inability to
pay reparations by Chancellor Bruen-
ing Is merely another indication Of
what the conference viii do-namely,
to take cognizance Of that situation
and grant the Germans an extension
of the Hoover moratorium expiring
July 1.
It does not seem to be Lausanne,s
present intention to 90 beyond that
that Is to ask the United States to grant
our European war debtors another
moratorium. But it Is an open secret
that Is, to ask the United States to grant
next payments are not due ct Wasning-
ton until December is. The chances
are that the United States viii know
wen in advance, however, whether
Great Britain, France, Italy and the rest
intend to default or repudiate, or not.
Congress, with which debt decisions
rest, sternly opposes further concessions
Cancellation Is out Of the question. Re.
duction Is almost so. There Is equally
little sentiment for extending the
moratorium. Just what the United
States will do or can do, IL the debtor
countries let December is 90 by with
out action, Is the question with which
Secretary stimson has now to concern
himself
The British imperial conference at
Ottawa Is another impending interna-
tional meeting on whose outcome mat
ters of vast import to the United States
depend. Canada, cur biggest customer,
Is sred hot" about the Hawiey- -Smoot
tariff. The present Dominion govern
ment won Office year and o half ago
on the anti-American tariff issue. It
is expected to lead the fight at the
imperial conference for q tighter all
British tariff union in general, and O
sitter front against the United States
in particular. Other British empire
units besides Canada, including Great
Britain itself, are bitter over the Amer
lean high tariff policy.
Japan's newest military activities in
Manchuria will call for Secretary
Stimsons closest scrutiny. Diplomatists
do not yet Danish the possibility Of a
Japanese-Russian clash as q result of
Japan's constantly widening sphere Of
military influence in Manchuria. The
Chinese Eastern Railway, in which
Russia has proprietary interest, may
prove the immediate bone Of conten-
ton with Japan, if her troops encroach
more and more into the Russian sphere
In South America a tariff war against
the United States is looming, with Peru
and Chile apparently leading 1t. Dis
patches from Lima circumstantially tell
of negotiations looking to formation of
a Latin American customs union for
united defense and concerted action
against the Omitted States tariff policy"
Mexico is said TO be In mood to join
the South Americans IN this plan. The
Senate tax bills proposed copper tax
fn orir 60 he
program.
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sTIMs0N RETURNS.