Evening star., 1933-01-01
TWO CHIEF EVENTS
OF 1882 WEIGHED
Lausanne Accord and Franco.
German Arms Understand
ing Emphasized.
tContinued From Third Page.)

VeSCOrS VINO nave CTeQlLS III germany
And so many of these are American,
(our investments in Germany probably
total $1,000 900 900, or SIS for every
man, woman and child in the United
States that Europeans find it difhcul
to comprehend how eminent American
statesmen can go on repeating that the
reparations question is none of oul
business.
This year saw the beginning Of the
Disarmament Conference at Geneva
but will not see the end of it. 1t il
yet early to say what will be the fina
achievements OF that conference, but
the recognition by France of Ger
many's right 70 equality of treatment
is gain that was not foreseen by the
most optimistic when the conference
convened last February.
Limit on Offensive Forces.
The French offer of equality does not
mean that Germany is to be free to re-
build the war machine of 1914. If il
meant that, it would not be a cause fol-
congratulation, because unlimited ex-
pansion of ornaments in Germany
would lead fatally to another race for
supremacy, and certainly that is not
the object that the organizers of the
Disarmament Conference had in view.
The French idea. in its broad lines
Is that all nations in Europe, on a
footing of equality, might have a SINH
lar type Of army-a type that is a suff1-
cient weapon for defense and for in
ternal police in case of msurrection
but which would be unsuitable for
offensive warfare outside the national
boundaries. The Swiss army. composed
of conscripts who undergo few months
training at the age of 20 and then a
brief period Of supplementary exercises
yearly thereafter. is taken as model
The Swiss army has never been tested
under modern conditions, but the gen.
eral military opinion Is that while II
would offer solid resistance in case
of invasion it would be practically use
less as an offensive force attacking q
neighboring country.
1t may be that the French plan will
not be adopted, it may be that the
Disarmament Conference will reach nc
agreement at all, though that is i'm
probable: but whatever happens, the
French have volunteered to grant Ger
many an equality of rights to which
she was not entitled under the treaty
of Versailles, and that fact represent.
a long stride on the path of Franco.
German reconciliation.
Considering the fact that 1882 wa.
the third year of the world economic
depression, which seemed to reach it,
lowest point about the middle of thi,
year, the atmosphere has been singu-
larly free of war. clouds. Nothing en-
genders such CLOUDS more than hare
times. During the worst moments oi
the present crisis millions of people
could not help remembering that the
period of the last war was a time Of
relative prosperity. Trade f1ourishec
and everybody had well paid work
The men in the fighting armies anc
navies had sufferings and hardships
of course, but just as many are suf
fering today without the comforting
feeling that they are suffering for {
patriotic cause. The violent but glori.
GUS death of the trenches is replaced
by death of starvation and ignoblt
misery.
Year of Patient Striving.
1t must have seemed to the million.
who made this comparison that II
many respects war and prosperity art
to be preferred to peace and cestitu-
ton. And when millions of people arr
in such frame of mind it does MOI
require much of spark to ignite tht
powder. Yet, on the whole, 1892 has
been one of patient, pacific striving fol
better international feeling. Europe
sometimes believed in America to be
only too ready for trouble, has behaved
with sage moderation under the streS:
and strain Of the economic crisis.
During the last few months of tbs
year considerable improvement ir
economic conditions has been noted
Index figures and other statistics have
begun to show slight but appreciablt
upward trend The recovery is per.
haps too slight to be felt directly BY
, the individual, but trade statistics anc
index figures are like barometer
they precede the phenomena which
they describe. An upturn in prices ol
raw materials, for example, means that
bankers will lend money which a week
previously they would have refused
manufacturers will replenish theil
stocks; retailers will order goods II
anticipation of rise in prices; bear.
on the market will rush to cover ane
boost the prices of securities, which II
turn viii create more credit.
One swallow does not make Sum
mer, and little upward hook on tn,
business chart does not neceSsaril.
mean that the depression is over; bu
1t must not be forgotten that the
bankers and business men of the worlc
are convinced that the depression viii
end some time, and they are determined
to seize that moment, If they car
identify 1t, and get in on the grounc
floor of the new prosperity. There
are indications that many of them, II
Europe at least, are convinced that
that time has about arrived.
Looking to America.
This year cleaned up the intergovern'
mental finance problem pretty well, Sc
far as Europe is concerned. The
Lausanne agreement put an end to tn,
major debts owed by the different Eu
ropean nations to each other. But i
was made contingent on satisfactory
action by the United States, and tht
question Of what concessions America
Is willing to make was left over unit
1888.
The reason for this postponement
was that President Hoover did no
want to open discussion on war debt
during his campaign for reelection
It is not hard to understand why. Tht
war-debt problem, in It's technical ant
real aspects, is extremely complicated
1t cannot be argued on the politica
Ill lllC 4iCdb VI q
For the same reason the Lausanne
conference could not be held until tn,
French elections were over, last May
The French nation has accepted tn,
Lausanne settlement, now that it is
Ssit accomph, with scarcely a murmuT
but If the conference had happened
during the parliamentary elections il
France, there would have been nj
agreement. No French Stateman Woult
have dared to put his signature to
paper that signs away Frances righ
TO be indemnified for the destruction
caused by the war.
Cheers Easy to Draw.
It Is extremely easy for a politica
candidate in any country to draw en-
thusiastic cheers from an audience b.
pretending that he thinks intergovern
mental debts are on the same plan