Evening star., 1932-05-17
ST|MSON HOPEFUL
| OF GENEVA RESULT
Finds European Nations Try
ing to Cooperate, but
Each DiStrustfuI.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.


day made his first report to President
Hoover regarding the international sit
uation as it appeared to him at Geneva.
Mr.. Stinson returned from Geneva
mildly optimistic. He is satisfied that
most of the European leaders are aware
of the dangerous situation of the world
today and are anxious to do something
to alleviate it. But, he is also convinced
that nobody quite knows what can be
done.
The situation in nutshell appears as
follows:
France is willing to reduce her arm
aments, either by ratio, giving her the
same preponderance she has now over
other European countries, or a security
pact guaranteeing her against any pos
sible aggression from outside. 1t must
be mentioned that any attempt to
change the existing peace treaties con-
cluded after the World War is consid-
cred by the French as an aggression.
Italy Is willing to disarm; in fact she
is prepared to reduce her army and navy
to a mere police force if the other ma
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Germany Wants Equality.
Germany Is disarmed, but insists that
other nations should follow her example
Great Britain does not want to in
crease her present ornaments and is
willing to reduce somewhat the size Of
her navy, If that is necessary to bring
about a friendlier feeling among the
nations of the world, provided that the
French and Italians refrain from fur
ther increasing their navies.
In other words. the Secretary of
State has found a sincere desire among
all the European leaders to diSarm. pro-
vided that somebody else sets the ex-
ample and that somebody else must be
European power.
Under these circumstances, it is evil
dent that our expectation for a serious
disarmament move at this session of
the Geneva conference cannot be full
filed and the world must be satisfied
with mere gesture to indicate the de-
sire for disarmament of European
statesmen. More important results can
De achieved only after the political
problems, which cause the present dis
trust in Europe, are settled in q salts
factory manner.
AdthS 70 LeAucTS.
In spite of the formal atmosphere Of
Geneva, Mr.. StimSon has acted most in
formally with the main actors of the
european drama. He has had heart-to-
heart talks with Andre Tardieu, Dr.
Bruening, Dino Grandi, Paul Boncour,
Count Appony, the Hungarian states
man; Ramsay Macdonald, Lord He'll
sham and Sir John Simon, the pillars
OF the British government; Mr.. Benes,
the clever Czechoslovakian prime min
lister, and others. He has found them
all reasonable in their point of view
and anxious to see the various disputes
existing between the European nations
settled in satisfactory manner.
But, unfortunately, the time does not
seem ripe yet for such settlement.
Furthermore, the fine idealistic views
and intentions expressed by these
statesmen in the cordial Geneva atmos-
phere change when they return to their
hon1elands and are faced with the mat
ter-of-fact realities Of each country.
The reparations question is one Of the
greatest obstacles to an early settle
ment Of the European problem. The
French and German leaders fully agree
that something must be done, but they
are both confronted with a determined
public opinion in their respective coun-
tries. The Germans feel they have
paid enough, the French maintain the
Young plan. even If somewhat modified,
must continue to be maintained. The
Lausanne conference might help to-
ward the solution of this problem, eSpe-
cially since the British intend to help
both the French and the Germans, but
the world still seems to be far away
from real settlement.
Situation Not Improved.
The situation between France and
Italy does not appear to have greatly
improved.
At Geneva, Dino Grandi spoke warmly
to Mr.. Stimson about the necessity OF
reducing armaments, the burden of
which is causing harrshipS in Italy
But when Dino Grandi returned to Italy
from Geneva, he made a speech which
Is not likely to contribute toward the
improvement of the Franco Italian re-
lations. After complaining that the Ge-
neva conference was very slow, Signor
Grandi brought into the limelight the
much-debated question Of Italy's COLO
NAL claims in North Africa. He said
Italy was being stif1ed and needed more
room for her growing population. He
indicated Italy would soon take up the
matter Of expanding her African pos
sessions in Tripons. south of her pres
ent boundaries. This question is one
of the main stumbling blocks In the
Franco-Italian relations, because the
French suspect the Italians of wanting
TO extend their colonial possessions
close to Lake Tchad, thus coming dan
gerously close to one Of the most i'm
portant French trade routes
Grandi's speech is not likely to help
the solution of the political problems
which prevent an agreement for general
disarmament.
Under these circumstances, 1t Is only
natural that Mr.. Stimson should not
be very sanguine in his expectations re-