Evening star., 1932-02-14
BY PRANK Fl. SIMONDS.


- ENEVA-With the opening Of
the second week of the Dis
T armament Conference and
~ speeches by the delegates from
the leading countries having
been delivered, clear picture of the
possibilities of the great meeting is
presented. The outstanding fact is that
no disarmament in the American sense
of that term is possible. The maximum
of conceivable achievement is an agree
ment for the stabilizatlon of existing
armaments at their present level.
TIE moral value of this possible at
tainmert is reduced by the universal
perception of the economic crisis
throughout the world which makes any
increase in armaments everywhere def
nitely impossible.
Another probability is that an agree
n ent may be reached for wide and
general examination into the question
of air and gas bombing.
Cites Obstacles to Pact.
As to the inability to arrive at gen.
eral arms reduction, there are four
ma jor reasons.
First. the conflict in the Far East
japanese operations in China have
served temporarily at least to destroy
confidence in the whole system of peace
created since the World War and
founded upon the idea of pacts die
tated by world public opinion and moral
considerations as contraSted with the
old order of physical force. Japan has
reduced the League covenant, the nine
power treaty and the Kellogg pact to
scraps of paper. The effect has been
incredibly devastating upon the whole
IeaQlle of Nations conception
The second obstacle IS the present
condition of Germany. The course that
the Reich has taken in the last few
months is viewed by all Of her neigh
bocs as disclosing her deliberate pur-
pose, by a campaign of sabotage to
seilles, territorial, military and fnan-
cial clauses. AS a consequence. none
of the neighborins states, notably
France, Poland and CzechoSlovakia, is
prepared 10 reduce military strength
while Germany remains in Hltlerlan
mood. No basis of adjustment is pos
siple while the National Socialists in
advance repudiate all adjustments
which do not amount to complete
transformation of the results of the
war.
All Nations Feel Unsafe.
The third factor is the utter i'm
potence of the Council of the League
in the Chinese affair, which. N Its
European bearing, means that II the
Hitler control in Gernany were fol-
lowed by aggression against Poland or
a renewal of the Anschluss movement.
no immediate and effective action by
the Council would be possible. All ma
tions. feeling themselves exposed either
through German or Russian dangers,
are resolved TO maintain their present
military strength at any and all sac
riflceS.
Finally, the economic and financial
crisis in Europe has produced a far
reaching nationalistic reversion. F2"
from accepting the need of co-opera-
ton. countries large and small are en-
gagged in the construction OF tariff walls
and in making customs reprisals. DIS
trust and even hatred of the foreigner
is everywhere rampant. The state OF
mine of all peoples is wholly unfavor-
able to any large gestures OF reconcllla-
ton. The press of Europe reveals an
American antIpathy unequaIed since
the close of the war.
There is supreme concern in circles OF
responsible craftsmanship here to pre-
vent the conference from degenerating
into a battle which could bring COM
plete chaos and. incidentally. the ruin
. of the League This hope is particularly
evident among the small nations for
wnom the League constitutes their sole
hrpe of future security, since they never
wifi be strong enough to defend them
selves and to preserve the shattered
structure for the future by preventing
a sterile and violent battle in the con-
ference.
Like Burning Home.
Those responsible for forcing the
conference at this time have a heavy
responsibility before them. The world
situation is exactly like a meeting to
consider remodeling house that actu-
ally is in flames. The absence OF every
kind of political preparation and the
presence of acute traditional and con-
temporary rivalries complcate the task
and explain the despair expressed prl-
vately in many quarters
A pathetic detail of this conference
Is the presence of hundreds of women,
mostly American and British, totally
unaware of the political realities, who
are engaged in a crusade spirit that is
sometimes hysterical. Their petitions,