Evening star., 1933-04-16
ECONOMIC RESTORATION
IS MENACED BY POLITICS
Roosevelt and Macdonald Must Satisfy
European Security Demand in
Order to Achieve Results.

| political issues The French and their
allies have set the security Of the exist
ing territorial system In Europe above all
else and in every conference strive to
fortify the status quo. Germany and
Italy, on the other hand, have set treaty
revision at the top and try to conform
all to that issue.
The obstinate Europeans have COIL
tinuously refused to follow the lead Of
America in cutting out politics. They
have also resented every Anglo-Amer-
lean project which sought to establish
world peace by moral sanctions and
came here before and made his famous
Rapidan bargain with Mr.. Hoover.
Paris instantly went of the reservation
and published the only set of terms
on which it was ready to cooperate In
London. And in London France stuck
to those terms to the complete destruc-
ton Of all hope of q five power treaty.
Is Mr.. Roosevelt going to try to re-
peat the method of Hoover. which to
lesser degree was the method Of Cool
idge and Harding as we'll? Is he 60
ing to undertake the Hooverian task
of convincing Europe that finance Is
confined in one compartment, business
in another and politics in a third and
fully without any concern for the
third? Is he going to proceed upon
the assumption that all European peo-
ples and governments are so eager to
get trade and commerce started that
they will cheerfully dismiss such issues
as the Polish Corridor, the Anschluss,
the frontiers Of Hungary? Or that they
will disarm together without concern
for the disproportionate advantage such
process would give one Of two groups
of nations?
Success Is Dubious.
prove right in such a course, but at
the very least the experiences of his
predecessors and the progress Of recent
events in Europe make success dubious.
Maybe he can get Congress to consent
to moratorium. perhaps he can pre-
vail upon Macdonald to give some
promises about reciprocal tariff adjust
ments. Neither will be easy to bring
about, yet both are plainly possible.
But after that, how Is he going to get
nations who do not enjoy the political
immunities of Britain and the United
States and who regard their existence
as currently and constantly at stake be-
cause OF political dangers. to come In
WlIllOuI giving LIlctIl ally lOIuu VI 1ICS1l
security or new guarantee?
Briefly. what must be recognized in
Washington and elsewhere Is that the
United States is going to another inter-
national conference at which large A.
nancial economic and political conces-
sions are likely to be asked Of it. PAY
as you enter in debts has been the
Macdonald urging to Roosevelt. because
if the economic conference fails it will
not serve as a happy preface to debt
cancellation. But just as plainly other
nations are going to ask political COM
pensations. In some form or other the
United States will in the end. as has
always happened in every international
conference since that which made peace
at Paris, be asked to assume political
responsibilities. And If 1t refuses, the
chances for a successful economic con-
ference are relatively slight, measured
lby past performances.
(Copyright. 1889