Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-05-29
Lausanne and France Nav
Save Europe From Crash
BY A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON, May 2e-Stanley Bald
wins protest in the House OF Com
mons Wednesday against the wave of
depression sweeping the country was
unavailing in the presence of the deep
ening gloom which overshadows Eu-
rope on the eve of the crucial Confer
ence at Lausanne
Violent outbreaks in Germany in
dictate the insecurity of Chancellor
Heinrich Bruening's position and the
peril OF that country being swept into
the whirlpool of revolution, with the
Nazis and Communists in death grap-
pie for mastery. Bruening's hopes of
surviving the storm are entirely de-
pendent on the successful issue of the
Geneva and Lausanne Conferences.
Unfortunately the prospects Of both
are darkened by the situation in
France, where there are ominous SYM
toms Of Edouard Herriot turning to the
Right rather than to the Left for sup
port in forming a new government.
This would mean continuance Of the
French reactionary policy and the
probable breakdown of both the Dis
armament and Preparations Confer
ences.
Meanwhile. the economic condition
OF Europe grows rapidly. worse. Greece
is defaulting payments on its external
loans, Austria is about to declare
transfer moratorium and Bulgaria al
ready has declared a partial mora
forum. Mainly. due to the growing
paralysis of international trade, each
country Is perishing inside a water
tight compartment of tariffs and cur
rency restrictions.
The phenomenon is not confined to
Europe. The powerlesspess Of Greece
to pay her debts to countries that re-
fuse to take her goods, says the Lon
don Spectator, is the same thing as the
powerlessness of the European coun-
tries to pay their American creditor.
whose main purpose commercially Is
to keep out European goods. This mad
game of "beggar my neighbor" is being
played in the full knowledge that 1t
means universal suicide Committee
after committee has declared this. A
new one appointed at Geneva on
Thursday will declare it again. Yet
every one knows that the truth is that,
unless the barriers are lowered, trade
must continue to perish and the ma
tons perish with it.
Where, out of these barbed-wire en-
tanglements, Is deliverance to come
from?
Unless leadership is shown during the
coming weeks, says the Weekend Re-
view, nothing can save capitalist democ-
racy from collapse.
But where is the hope Of leadership?
Germany is balanced on the brink of
a domestic volcano and push from
T xryf1I OxAy
France is without a government or
policy, and. as one critic remarks. the
United States has government inca
pable Of action. The British prime min
lister and the chancellor of the ex-
chequer are both still indisposed.
Everything points to further mora
forum and another poStponement of
effective decisions as a result of Lau-
same. That would mean naked failure,
for postponement has reached its ut
most limits. Only action can save the
situation.
The issue will rest primarily with
Herriot. and the British government is
urged to exercise pressure on him to
consider the consequences of failing to
sustain Bruening in power in Germany
Anarchy Is imminent in the Reich and
a. sAAS va 6ohAzSo IiC
wheel will probably go the full circle
to communism.
What would be the effect in France
OF a Germany under Adolf Hitler?
What the effect in Russia of Germany
In communist hands?
These are considerations which Her
riot cannot ignore in forming his gov
eminent and formulating his policy.
A reasonable approximation of Ger
many's claim to an equality status in
ornaments, involving drastic disarma-
ment generally. would go far to
strengthen Bruening's position and have
an invaluable effect on American senti-
ment In regard to the question of debts.
And q clean slate on reparations, or
such modification of payments as is ul-
timately feasible, would not only pla-
cate Germany, but would re-establish
the confidence of Europe and set the
wheels Of trade once more In motion.
For the root of the economic paralysis
Is political unrest, and the center of that
unrest Is the Franco-German question.
(CopyriRht, 1922