Evening star., 1932-02-07
BY FRANK Fl. SIMONDS.

TARIS-A significant decline in
u the vogue Of International CON
ferences, and the severity of do
l. meStic political crises which is
keeping statesmen at home, is
the contrast revealed between figures
present at this years Geneva gathering
and the past great meetings. Whereas
at Paris Clemenceau, Wilson and Lloyd
George were in almost continuous at
tendance, and more recently 1929 at
the London Naval Conference Secretary
Stimson and the late Dwight Morrow
sat daily with Premier Macdonald while
Andre Tardieu was a frequent conferee,
only France among the great powers
this year sends a public man of first
rank as a permanent delegate. True,
Premier Macdonald and Chancellor
Bruening are coming for a brief stay
but in their absencs Great Britain and
Germany are represented by men without
great international reputation or large
domestic political influence. Moreover
there are such difficulties and dangers
in their home situations that both Mac
Donald and Bruening give only passing
attention to Geneva. Nevertheless, they
are sure to exert great influence at
Geneva as did the big three" of the
brighter Locarno dayS-Briand, Strese-
mann and Chamberlain.
Tardieu Is Strongest Man.
1t is impossible not to recognize the
strategy of France in sending her ableSt
and most experienced public man to the
Geneva front at the moment when her
fortunes are viSibly at stake. BRAND
gone, no Frenchman has Tardieu'S
training abroad, as a journalist, as a
diplomat, twice as prime minister and
In hnh hn h.
met. Alone among the more consider
able figures he need have no fear of
home politics. Again, he possesses the
ineStimable advantage of speaking
three languages, German and English,
as we'll as French. The new Tardieu
that Americans will see at Geneva this
year will be tempered by a measure of
adversity He is not quite as robust in
health as he was at London, he is less
sure of himself and less cynically arro-
CANT, for ClemenCeau'S former lieuten-
ant has had his share Of i'll luck in
recent months, and learned from it. At
Tardieu'S side will be Boncour, next to
BeneS the most experienced delegate,
and as an orator second only to BRAND
himself.
Tardieu has three allies of long
proven ability. Benes of Czechoslo-
vakia is the oldest foreign minister in
Europe author of the once famous
protocol and beyond debate the great
est statesman of any little country in
Europe. TituleScu of Rumania, like
BeneS an old hand at Geneva and a
great figure in international affairs,
will play a considerable role. Finally,
Zaleski, the foreign minister of Poland,
q less considerable figure than the two
others but representing one of the larg-
est new countries in Europe, is bound
to have a conspicuous part in the pro-
ceedings.
Allies to Put Up Fight.
Tardieu, Benes, Titulescu and Ia
1cski constitute the combination of
France and her allies, the Little En-
tente and Poland. They are certain to
make an uncomprOmiSing fight against
any attempt of Germany and Italy,
separately or united, to disturb the
present balance Of armed power in
Europe They will be the Big Four"
in upholding the status quo against
treaty revision. All are strategically
strong in the situation because their
public opinions support them.
Opposed to this combination, Ger
many sits with Bruening, if only temp
orarily. But Bruening, despite his
courage and constancy, has been dis
closed as politically clumsy at home,
snd his is not happy record in for
eign affairs. His Endorsement OF the