Evening star., 1933-04-17
)" MEN OF PEACE"
TO SEE ROOSEVELT
MacD Donald, Luther and Her.
riot Will Try Again to
Stabilize Europe.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

Three men full of idealism and good
will, who attempted to stabilize the
political situation in Europe in 1924,
will meet again in Washington this
week. They are Ramsay Macdonald,
the prime minister of Great Britain;
Edouard Herriot, the former premier OF
France, and DR.. Hans Luther, the
present German Ambassador at Wash
ington.
In London, in the Summer of 1924,
they met to discuss and finally adopt
the Dawes reparations plan, which at
that time was believed to have un-
raveled the whole German reparation
question After nine years Of politica.
and economic confusion they meet
again in Washington to discuss with
President Roosevelt the possibility OF a
new deal" for Europe and the rest OF
the world.
The coming into Office in 1924 Of
Herriot and Macdonald, who both
superseded in their respective countries
narrow minded, ultra reactionary gov
ernments, was sensation at that time.
Macdonald, who only a few years
earlier had been branded by some OF
his countrymen as a pernicious paclflst
surprises the world by sweeping the
Conservative party out of office and
becoming Great Britain's first Labor
new position he would be able to put
into effect the humanitarian ideas he
had been preaching as member OF
Parliament.
A few months after Macdonald took
over the helm OF the British ship OF
state, in France, Herriot, mere mayor OF
Lyons, defeated the all-poWerful wartime
French President Raymond Poincare,
and built up the first postwar Social
ist cabinet. At that time France was
pointed out to the world as the most
inexorable militartistic country in the
world. The French, in defiance Of the
rest of the world, had sent troops into
the Ruhr and were in possession of
that important industrial province OF
Germany.
Started Rapproachment.
DR.. Luther was sent by the chancel-
lor of the republic, DR.. Mark, as
spokesman of the Reich at the London
conference to discuss with the other
powers the adoption of the Dawes plan.
An almost impossible task at that time,
1t was thought.
On his way to London he stopped to
shake hands with the new French prime
minister and discuss not only economic
but also political cooperation. Her
riot received him cordially. He as
sured him he would do his best to
bring about the liquidation OF the debt
problem, but when DR.. Luther. men
toned a political rapproachment, Her
riot expressed the true feelings Of
France toward Germany, a feeling
which exists today as it existed then:
I'VE are afraid of you, my dear col
league" stated the new French pre-
mier In this way he warned Germany
that the problem of reconciliation be-
tween the two neighboring republics
was a psychological factor and 1t de-
pended on Germany to offset this IN
herent fear of the French people.
But Herriot and Macdonald did
their best to help what, at that time,
was believed to be the solution OF the
reparations problem. The Dawes plan
was accepted in spite OF the tre-
mendous opposition Of a reactionary
French Senate But Herriot went one
step further He decided to abandon
the Ruhr and ordered the French Army
to evacuate within year that Ger
man province.
Remained Men Of Peace.
Ever since Macdonald and Herriot
have worked for the stabilization OF
Europe. They met with little success.
Twice they were forced out OF office
by their lectorate, but both remained
the protagonists Of the idea OF peace
and reconciliation. Every time an i'm
portant international problem came to
the fore the two men were together
to support its solution in q friendly
spirit.
Last Summer, when it was thought
the time was ript for practically an
nulling the German reparations, they
got together again and achieved what
was believed by many to be Impossible.
The Lausanne agreement was prin-
cipally the work of Ramsay Macdonald
and Edouard Herriot.
Both statesmen have been failures SO
far in their interior politics. MacDon-
aid now is q man without party and
Herriot is handicapped by the shiftless-
ness Of the French political party life:
But both of them enjoy the respect, II
not the full support, Of their country
men as far as their ideas on foreign az
fairs is concerned.
They are coming to Washington. the
same old team, in the hope Of enllsting
a more effective cooperation OF the
United States in world affairs, CO.
operation which they believe so essen
tial that without it they do not think
their work can be brought to success
full conclusion.