Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-24
The World in Conference.

About the time the American people
few months hence find themselves
luxuriating in their quadrennial presi-
Dental campaign. with all of its at
tendant and absorbing excitements. Eu-
ropes energies viii be concentrated
upon a series of international confer
ences. Upon their respective outcomes
issues of the most vital Importance de-
pend.
BY the middle of June. as American
eyes are focused upon the two great ma
tional contentious at Chicago, the &C.
neva Disarmament Conference should
be approaching finality. No sooner will
its deliberations have been concluded
than the Preparations Conference at
Lausanne will be called to order Lau-
same is certain still to be in progress
when Great Britain and her dominions
and colonies foregather at Ottawa in
July for a conference to regulate empire
tariff relations. Seldom in times asso-
ciated with purely peaceful activities
have the nations pooled their minds on
more momentous occasions than those
which will see them in conference dur
ing the Summer just ahead.
Though the United States is officially
sitting in only one of the 1892 confer
ences-the armament meeting in Geneva
our concern in the other two is
hardly less direct. American trade with
the British Empire tops our foreign
commerce overwhelmingly Ottawas
proceedings will be fraught with all
possible interest for American business.
Uncle Sans chair at Lausanne will be
vacant, yet any decision taken there by
the PREPARATION powers win be made with
an anxious eye cast in his direction.
Every indication today points to an
agreement by Germany's European
creditors to grant her a substantial ex-
tension for PREPARATION payments. They
will do so in the definite expectation
that, IN accordance with the precedent
set by the Hoover moratorium, the
United States will give Europe a con-
current period of new grace with
respect to war debt annuities due to
this country.
No palmer intimation on this score
has been forthcoming for some time
than the recent statement by Senator
Henri Berenger, presiden, of the French
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs
and co-author, while ambassador at
Washington. of the Mellon Berenger
debt settlement OF 1926. Adjustment
OF international debts, Senator Berenger
declares, must recognize Frances right
not to pay to the United States and
Great Britain any sums larger than
those she receives from Germany as
reparations. 1t was President Hoover. in
the French Senator's opinion, who
suspended the Young plan" by linking
debts and reparations. France quite
evidently feels that it Will be impossible
henceforward to look upon them as
separate entities.
Mr. Silas H. StraWn, president of the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States, has just returned from Europe
whittier he went to attend the annual
session of the Council of the Interna-
tional Chamber of Commerce. He did
not, of course. speak with any official
authority, but he expressed on public
occasions in London, Paris and Berlin
view to which millions OF Americans
are undoubtedly ready to subscribe.
The American Committee of the
International Chamber" Mr.. Strawn
said, believes that If the governments
Of Europe are able to agree among
themselves on a practical settlement of
reparations and other pressing prob
lens, the people of the United States
would be found ready to give serious
consideration to existing conditions in
readjustment of intergovernmental
debt settlements"
The time for such consideration on
our part will soon be at hand