Evening star., 1933-08-20
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

"NHE assembly OF Ine League VI
Nations, which meets for It's an
nual session five weeks hence,
1 will obviously face situation
which must bring disappolnt-
ment if not despair to the heart OF the
stoutest champion of this Geneva in
stitution. Not in a full decade. not. IN
fact. since the French occupation OF the
Ruhr in 1928 has the European sltua-
tion appeared more desperate nor the
world outlook so troubled.
Zen years ago it was possible to flnd
consolation in the fact that II the
world was in an uproar the League
itself had not yet completed its task OF
organization and to believe tnat
with the later development OF tne
Geneva society change was assured.
But now. a decade later, the League has
been fully organized, has functioned
with regularity, has even succeeded IN
enlisting American cooperation II not
actual membership. Yet the interna-
tional situation at the moment Is De-
yond debate the worst since the close
of the World War over half genera
tion ago.
In the past three years Japanese
Imperialism, German fasclsm and eco
nomic nationaliSm everywhere nave
combined to dampen the optimism OF
ward international rather than national
thought and action. The utter failure
of two great international conferences,
the Economic in London and the Dis
armament in Geneva, has disclosed a
temper in every country equally fatal to
the removal of barriers to international
trade and to the reduction of armies
and navies.
Situation Has Changed.
1t is still possible to believe that but
for the great depression the League OF
Nations might have acquired for itself
some measure of the role its founder
dreamed. Certainly during the years OF
the Locarno truce, from 1925 to 1880,
m which economic recovery seemed IN
full swing. political disputes lost some
thing of their acuteness.
Nevertheless 1t is now clear that the
armed nations, on the one hand, will
not reduce their forces or armanents
save as they are assured Of international
guarantees against the purposes OF ma
tions at least nominally disarmed but
resolved to bring about treaty revision
at the expense of their neighbors. And,
on the other hand it is equally plain
that these diSarmed nations will not
consent to renounce their purposes.
Demanding equality in armamentS.
Germany, for example, refuses with
ever-increasing vigor to accept her ex-
tsting frontiers.
The League could function between
nations resolved to set peace above all
else But between nations one group
of which will fight rather than sur
render territory and another openly
considering war lesser evil than their
existing territorial status there Is moth
,1-bip hn 7 I
persuade the armed nations to reduce
their forces because it is unable to
promise them security thereafter. Nor
can it hold out for the revision states
any promise of frontier changes by
peaceful means.
Germany's Neighbors Alarmed.
1t is a common saying in America
that the cause of European armaments
is fear, but it is less common on this
side of the Atlantic to perceive that the
fears theselves are founded upon facts
which are patent. Since the DiSarma-
ment Conference. adjourned a few
weeks ago, there has been very de-
liberate attempt in certain quarters in
this country to build up the idea that
real progress has been made behind the
scenes and that when it reasSembes
concrete results might be expected.
But nothing that has yet happened
has served to wipe out the effect of
the Japanese operation in Manchukuo.
which along with the Shanghai fight
ing proved fatal prelude to the open
ing sessions Nor has anything oc-
CURED since the latest adjournment to
offset the incidents and events which
have surrounded the campaign of the
German Nazis in Austria-a campaign
which called forth public protest from
official London and Paris and private
admonition from Rome. Every nation
neighboring on Germany Is now pro-
foundly alarmed over German events
and the menace Nazi programs pub
licly proclaimed have for their security
and unity.
For all practical purposes the from
tiers of Poland. CZechoslovakia. Aus
tria, France. Belgium and Holland,
where these march with those of the
Reich are patrolled and guarded as
they would be did war itself seem
imminent. Even Denmark has been
forced to take cogniZance of Nazi pur-
pose to recover that Northern Slesvig
which in 1919 voted threeto-one for
separation from Germany and union
with the former mother country. And
all of these countries have received
their share of Jewish fugitives and
Socialists and Liberal exiles who have
brought with them alarming reports Of
the temper and designs of the new
masters of the Reich.
Four Power Pact Ignored.
1t is true that recently the Four
Power Pact was drafted and signed.
But the ink was hardly dry upon this
document when the Nazi operations
along Austrian frontiers and over Aus
trian territory began. Britain. France,
and Italy, the co-signatories with Ger
many, have been forced to admonish
Berlin that this Austrian operation
was inconsistent with the spirit and
letter of the -Four Power Pact and Brit
ain and France have been answered by
public defiance.
So far as the new Germany is con-
cerned the League of Nations is nom
existent and the men and women OF
Germany who have sought to asso-
ciate their country with it are i'm
potent and in not few instances in
prison or in foreign lands. But the