Evening star., 1933-10-16

President Roosevelt and Secretary
Hull are deeply chagrined and gravely
concerned over the turn OF events in
Europe. To the last the administra..
tion's influence at Geneva was exerteo
in the direction of averting the crash
and keeping the conference alive. Spe-
cial Ambassador Davis Is under instruc-
tions to continue his labors to tnat eno'
but hardly anybody is left IN Washing
ton who does not think that disarma-
ment is dead as a doornail. Mr.. Davis
worked like a beaver to prolong CONVEX
sations between Germany. on the one
side. and France and Great Britain on
the other. The idea was that as long
as there was talk there was hope. The
United States was unalterably opposed
to letting Germany rearm at a time
when the world is yearning to disarm,
but this country was equally against i'm
posing an agreement upon the Germans
If there was the slightest chance OF ne
gotiating one they would accept. But
the Hitler government crashed through
with an ultimatum Of its own-resigna-
ton from the League and retirement
from the conference-and the Jig
was up.
Will Germany carry her defiance to
the point of risking another war with
the powers which imposed peace upon
her IS years ago? The idea seems pre-
posterous, vet there are authorities in
this country who believe that the Reich,
if invaded, could and would give a
tough fighting account of itself. The
army of 100000 allowed Germany under
the treaty Of Versailles Is described by
American Army officers who have seen
it as the worlds model military unit.
The regular army would, of course. In
case of war, automatically be augmented
by hundreds of thousands of Nazi storm
troops, steel helmets and other semi
military forces. The French insist that
vast stores of arms and other S1neWS
of war have long been secretly IN prep
aration in Germany-the details being
contained in the confidential "doss1er.
which Paris may spring upon the world
anv dav now. Washington shudders at
the thought of another war and does
not at this moment anticipate such a
catastrophe. It's expected that matters
will more or less drift until after the
German plebiscite on November IL. II,
armed with an overwhelming mandate
from the German people, the Hitler1tes'
next move should then be formal denun- :
citation of the Versailles treaty, truly
critical situation will exist, the outcome
of which no one in authority here cares
or dares to foreshadow.
X X X X
One of the main reasons why WASH
ington deplores the new European
crisis is its injurious effect on the world
economic situation. When Prime Min
lister Macdonald, M. Herriot and other
statesmen were in Washington last
Spring, discussing the London confer
ence, President Roosevelt vigorously
voiced the view that disarmament was
a prerequisite to world economic recov-
ery. Now that disarmament has gone
glimmering, recovery hopes pinned on
| It must be abandoned, too. European
| countries which are graphing, as we
are, with depression are now compelled
to divert their attention again to mill
| tary problems and away from economic
| needs. Recovery lover there" Is bound
| to be correspondingly retarded. Inter-
| national trade will suffer, America s
along with the rest.
| X X X
What price the League of Nations
| with four great powers - the United
States. Russia, Japan and Germany now
outside its membership? Will it go on
or 90 under? The anti-League contin-
gent in this country sees in the latest
DEVELOPMENTS at Geneva classic corrobo-
J ration of its theory that the League Is
| the last word in futility, even for Europe
| If CongreSs were in session and Sen
'ators Borah and johnson In eruption
the Capitol would almost certainly be
echoing with old-time irreconcilable full