Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-20
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

~ ENEVA.-When the Disarma-
ment Conference adjourns to-
day it will be nonlinally to re-
~ convene early in April Theory
has occupied the past seven
weeks in laying the foundations for a
systematic, far-reaching program for
the limitation and reduction of arma-
ments, both naval and land. But prac-
tically April, May and June will be
months in which European attention
will be concentrated on the elections
and on the Lausanne meeting, while so
far as sessions of the disarmament con-
ference are concerned, there already
has been reached a complete impasSe
beyond which progress Is impossible at
Geneva until political adjustments else
where permit action here.
Last week, while the public was
solemnly informed that technical COM
missions were hard at work wrestling
with real problems, in fact what went
on In the committee rooms taxes Gre
dulity. A special commission had to
be appointed to define the meaning of
the word "effectives." An afternoon
was occupied in solving the great riddle
of whether the experts should sit be-
side or behind the delegates in the
committee rooms. Finally, an elaborate
QUESTIONABLE having been sent out to
ascertain views, tentative program
was drawn up from the responses of a
nature to insure not weeks, but literally
months of discussion.
This Disarmament Conference, like
the Ffve-Power Conference at London,
like the Washington Naval Conference,
like almost all the postwar meetings,
broke down wellnigh at the outset
simply because there had been no po-
htical preparation for all the questions
of limitation and reduction which turn
In Europe on exclusively political fac
tors. The size of the French Army Is
fixed by the character Of the policies in
Germany of the parties controlling the
Reich. But the problem of how to con-
troll Germany still remains unsettled.
The single alternative so far as France
Is concerned lies in a reduction of the
League to body equipped as a military
SuperState that patiently is out of the
question.
Deadlock Of Principles.
All parties in Germany can agree on
. program for treaty revision, but
France and all her allies are prepared
to fight rather than to permit territorial
revision legally. They are able to pre-
the peace treaties or any similar action
within the League. Germany is resolved
to have an equality right with France
to ornaments and will sign no treaty
here that does not assure this right.
But all this means a square deadlock
between national policies, with political
differences to be accommodated before
coming to any disarmament discussions.
When this Disarmament Conference
met Europe was in a disturbed and
nervous situation which resulted from
the double fact that last Summer the
Austro- German tariff union project
precipitated the worst political crisis
since the war, and the economic flnan-
cial situation Is continuing to worsen
grave political consequences. Repre-
Sentatives of all nations here are eager
to prove in words that their countries
are not only willing but happy to join
in armament reduction, but the do
nestle political situation Of many
statesmen has compelled them to at
tach conditions to their proposals which
make reduction plainly impossible.
The lofty tone Of the speakers and
the absence Of any immediate clash be-
tween the representatives OF nations
pursuing conflicting policies estab-
lished q degree Of cordially in the at
mosphere and Of hope at the outset,
because of the removing Of the pre-
lirninary fear that the struggle would
begin at once. Naturally, when the
character of the purposes behind the
speeches was analysed, complete rec
ignition that material achievement
would be out of the question was point
ed out here, and a search for an ano-
dyne formula began.
Fighting Interferes.
At this point, however, the CONNECT
in China took turn which instantly
and completely obscured the Disarn1a-
ment Conference. The delegates were
condemned to sit on the sidelines idly,
while a war on the whole machinery
of the League for the prevention OF
war and the restraint Of an aggreSsor
was tested and proven inadequate. But
when for a moment that conflict ter
minated in accordance with the will OF
the aggressor, the effect had been to
shake the moral basis Of the Disarma-