Evening star., 1932-02-07
League of Nations Passing
Is View Held in Paris
BY G. II. ARCHAMBAULT.

PARIS, February 6.-What would
happen should the League of Nations
come to an end? The covenant of the
League is an integral part of the treaty
of Versailles. Should the League dis
appear. would the treaty stand?
The fact that these questions are be-
ing asked in Paris not only points TO
growing doubt regarding the survival
Of the League, but indicates some con-
Germ regarding the system destined 10
replace it, If and when it should die.
1t is evident that in the French mind
this system is likely to be TIE pre-War
one of groups Of alliances insurlng the
balance of power.
Everything indicates that Premier
Laval is deSirous of breaking the circle
of isolation now surrounding France,
as one commentator expressed 1t THIS
week The governing idea today is, IN
view of the failure Of general world
agreement as visioned by Arlst1de
BRAND, that it is wise to revert to par
ticular accordS.
As the Disarmament Conference
opens there is a growing belief mere
that it will sound the kneN OF the
League 1t may continue as a perma-
nent international institution for the
QlSCuSSlOIl VI lly slCIlC' AIlGCAASNNOoA
operation and such matters. but IS
sort of super-state it las failed utterly,
This view is spreading since Aristide
BRAND left the Qual D'Orsay. In the
popular mind in France the veteran for
eign minister personifed the League.
His departure-remOval many call It
is considered to indicate the end Of his
personal policy, and. by popular imph-
cation, the end of the League also.
As a matter of fact, faith in the
League of Nations among Frenchmen,
except possibly Immediately after the
war. has been governed by their pollti-
caI compleXions As it became more
and more a tenet of the left 1t was
abandoned more and more by the right.
Today even leaders of the left publicly
criticize the decisions of the League and
bewail its impotence.
Truth to tell, despite the existence OF
the League, the French in the mass
have continued their confidence in the
old system of alliances. They nave
been negotiated within the framework
of the League, as was proper, but the
treaties are of such a character that
they can survive the League, whose
participation has been simply to reg
lister them. Opponents of France en-
phasize the fact that most of her
understandings with other Nations
with Poland and Jugoslavia, for ex-
ample-are military in their essence
ard obviously destined to counteract
German or Italian policy, as the case
may be.
French historians are fond Of recall
ing that peace covenants, either pro-
posed or actually achieved, are not new.
1t would be possible to tabulate several
hundred since the dawn of civilization.
All of them were followed by wars.
Therefore, SkepticS assert that defen-
sive alliances and the balance Of power
are as efficaciouS in preserving peace
as are covenants. Visibly, at the mo
ment the French are not alone in this
belief In Europe alliances are being
sought on all sides.
X *
The French say also that alliances
need nucleus round which they can
crystalline The pre-war entente cor
diale of Britain and France was such
a nucleus, and indications are not lack
ing that earnest efforts are being made
on this side of the English Channel to
give new life to it, Since the war it
has remained more or less an entente,
but for most of the time cordiality has
been absent. Admittedly 1t will take
time to change what has been called
the state OF cordial rupture" but the
| French are prepared to stretch point
in order to achieve their ends. Nego-
tiations with Britain are admittedly
| slow, but the qualification expressed at
the week end showed signs Of the
French and British views on repara-
tions and war debts coming closer to-
| gether.
| France IS coming to the conclusion
that apart from the recovery Of Alsace
and Lorraine none of her hopes resting
on the treaty of Versailles will be re-
alized-pacts of security. reparations.
| Dawes plan, Young plan, Locarno spirit.
! And now the League itself seems mori-
J bund.