Evening star., 1932-08-06
Back From Geneva.

Senator Swanson, Mr. Norman II,
Davis and DR. Mary f. Wooney, who
have so long, so patiently and so. ably
represented the United States at
Geneva, are home again after SIX
months of participation in the World
Disarmament Conference. No blame
can be laid at their feet for the act
that the conference adjourned on July
20 with little accomplishment to us
credit except piOus resolution to re-
sumo in January. 1888. where it left on
in Midsummer OF 1892.
That the Hoover plan for an lmme-
diate, fat reduction OF armaments by
one-third OF all existing establishments
was accepted only in principle was
disappointment to the American dele
cation. as it was to the people OF TINS
country. But, as Senator Swanson ex-
plains in a picturesque parable, I'VE had
an American train running on Euro
pean track and we necessarily ran it
slowly. When We return to Geneva
next year We hope to have an Amer
icanized track
Mr.. Davis sounds more concretely
promising note when he suggests that
the French are weakening" in their
insistence upon security as a con-
ditions precedent to disarmament
Speaking from the background Of many
intimate exchanges with Premier Her
riot at Geneva. Mr.. Davis Is con-
vinced that the French nation Is COM
ing steadily to realize that the best
form of security it can have Is in con
tented neighbors." The former Ameri-
can Undersecretary of State finds that
France sis beginning to realize that
Germany bound by the Versailles
treaty is more dangerous than an
armed Germany. Frances relative Sc
curity will be greater If she lifts Ger
many out OF the Versailles treaty and
herself conforms to the Hoover pro-
posals. Then only will Germany be
friendly to France, and France relieved
of the responsibility Of maintaining
herself and her continental allies IN
high state Of preparedness" ,.,
Events since adjournment at Geneva
are designed to strengthen the readiness
of France. which holds the key to the
disarmament situation, to place more
faith in "contented neighbors" than in
Notifications and army corps. The
French are fully justified in looking
upon HitleriSm, with its unabashed
purpose of repudiating all World War
treaty obligations and restoring Hohen-
zollernism as a menace which cannot
be ignored. During the week that has
elapsed since the recent Reichstag cleo
tions the world has come to understand
that the "Nazis' were repulsed in their
supreme effort to seize power at Berlin
and run smok in Europe. -.....-
Unless the unforeseen intervenes in
Germany between now and next Janu-
Ary the resumed Geneva conference
should assemble, as the American dele
CATION seems confident it will, in an
atmosphere far more favorable than the
conditions under which the first stage
was conducted The Won Papen-
Schleicher cabinets threat to rearm
Germany unless the powers which re-
duced her to military impotence tulhu
their own disarmament pledges may en-
courage French and other hotSpurs to
maintain an uncompromiSing attitude
But If craftsmanship prevails at Euro
pean capitals the Berlin governments de-
fance will be regarded as challenge TO
the military and naval powers to beat
their fine disarmament words into deeds.
If they cannot bring themselves to do
so it is painfully apparent that they
will usher in new race in competitive
armaments such as made the tragedy
Of 1914 inevitable.
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