Evening star., 1933-05-28
Britain Disquieted as
To Economic Conference
BY A. G. GARDINER.

LONDON, May 27.-Phlllp snow
den's ferocious attack in the House OF
Lords Thursday on Prime Minister
Macdonald as q. positive danger to
the country" is discounted because OF
the bitter feud between these former
comrades and leaders, of the Labor
party, but the attack represents grow
inc public disouiet in regard to the
mystery and uncertainty enveloping the
World Economic Conference now inlml-
nent.
Has Great Britain plan, has Amer
lea a plan, has any one plan, or Is
the conference to be mere economic
babel of tongues, with go nations each
fighting for its own hand on the prln.
ciple of the devil take the hindmost?
One hopeful feature of the outlook
is the prospect that the Disarmament
Conference will reach an agreement,
without which the London conference
would be still-born.
This has been a week of feverish ex-
elements at Geneva, hopes ana
despairs chasing each other swiftly
across the stage. With the dramatic
change of attitude by Germany ana
the momentous declaration by Am
bassador Norman Davis that the
United States was prepared to consult
with other countries in the event OF a
war in breach of the Kellogg BRAND
pact and to refrain from interfering
with any agreed collective action. all
seemed over but the shouting. Then
came Joseph Paul-Boncour's cold
douche, and the barometer went down
with rush. France must have the
security of the League OF Nations,
armed with offensive weapons. against
any power guilty of a breach OF the
kellogg pact. In a moment France
had changed places with Germany as
the chief obstruction to a settlement,
and the conference was once more In
imminent peril.
On Wednesday the gloom was dis
placed by smiles, compliments and re-
vived confidence, thanks to Sir John
Simon's skillful amendments to the Sc
curitv part of the British draft conven-
ton, which were not only approved by
Ambassador Davis, but served to pla-
cate Paul -Boncour. who was obviously
anxious to avoid the isolation OF
France. The omens at Geneva now
appear to be eminently favorable and
hopes are high that the Economic Con-
ference will open with the assurance
of a real advance toward disarmament
and clearance of the political atmos-
phere.
But Snowdens criticisms of Britain's
unpreparedness for the London CONFER
ence, while resented for their bitterness
of tone toward the joint Roosevelt
Macdonald statement. represent a gen.
eral feeling of disquietude. Snowden
insisted that the only chance Of sue
cess for the conference was that the
British government should enter 1t with
a clear and practical plan, and that no
such plan existed.
The first stumbling 1lock 20 the coa:-
ference is the question of war debts.
As the position stands now, the confer
ence will meet under the shadow of
demand from America for the next in.
stallment on the debts. 1t is assumed
here that a moratorium will be pro-
posed. pending the decisions of the con-
ference and the question of what action
the British government will take In the
matter is much canvassed.
Three views prevail. One Is that
Britain at all costs must avoid repudi-
alton; the second that the government
should offer payment in goods, and the
third that Britain should follow the
French example on the ground that a
vast transfer Of currency. at this mo-
ment would aggravate the very dis
orders which it is the object of the con-
ference to alleviate and dispose.
1t is argued in some quarters that
the third course is desirable not merely
from the British and world point of
view, but also from the American. My
personal impression is that the British
government will decide to pay, but
whichever course is pursued. the fact
will not create a favorable atmosphere
for the conference.
Apart from this, the prospects of the
conference are not promising. The
acceptance of a tariff truce is regarded
as phantasmal, in the light of activities
on both sides of the Atlantic, and Ray
mond Moley's speech this week. with
its insistence on the paramount i'm
portance of the home as distinct from
the foreign front and It's warning that