Evening star., 1933-04-30
BY WILLIAM HARD.

weeks conversations here In Washing
ton between President Roosevelt. on the
one hand, and Prime Minister MacDon-
aid of Great Britain and ex-Prime Min
lister Herriot of France and Prime
Minister Bennett Of Canada, on the
other, can be said to be two in number.
The first has TO do with the method
Of procedure at the International
Monetary and Economic Conference in
London in June. The second has to do
with the wider subject Of the preven-
ton of war and the perpetuation Of
peace.
As for the method Of procedure at the
London conference the British visitors
here seem to have had some success
in the presentation of their views to
the United States Government. These
views were at variance in some degree
with the policies which had been ex-
pressed either directly or indirectly by
the United States Government before
Mr.. MacDonald's arrival in Washing
ton. Our authorities here had seemed
desirous Of considering each Of the con-
ference'S various problems separately.
Monetary stabilization was to be con-
sidered by itself. The lowering Of tariff
duties was to be considered by itself.
The governmental debt problem,
II considered at all, was to be consid-
cred by ttself-and kept in the back
ground. In fact. all the problems OF
the conference-excepto one-were to be
kept In the background. There was to
be Just one problem that would occupy
the foreground And 1t would occupy
the whole OF 1t. That problem was
and k-the removal Of barriers to In
ternatioEal trade in commodities and
the resumption, SO far as possible, of
unimpeded international economic In
teriOrS.
This conception OF the conference,
earnestly entertained by many Of
President Roosevelt's closest advisers,
seems to have been abandoned largely
by President Roosevelt himself. His
foreign visitors-and especially those
from Great Britain-wished to discuss
with him all of the problems Of the
conference, and, indeed, all of the prob
lens Of the world simultaneously.
They more or less did so. The Presi-
dent could hardly decline to listen. The
consequence was that all the worlds
monetary problems and all the worlds
economic problems. including the inter-
governmental debts, were thrown into
one grab-bag here and seem likely to
be thrown into one melting pot in
London.
At any rate, the British went away
with that impression Of the prospective
character of the London conference
firmly embedded in their minds. They
believed that they had secured the
Presidents assent to 1t.
If so. the conference at London be-
comes undoubtedly the greatest criss-
cross bargaining event in the economic
history Of mankind.
It's prime objective. according to in
timations from the White House. will
be the raising Of the level Of the prices
of commodities everywhere. Its prime
objective-that is, in frankness-may
turn out to be the equivalent Of a
worldwide monetary imitation.
The picture thereupon presented Is
that Of the President sitting in Wash
ington next June with the domestic
monetary imitation bill, as then passed
by the Congress, lying on his desk
for potential full use, while at the same
time-through bargainings In the con-
ference at London-he Is endeavoring to
bring about worldwide currency de-
velopments and worldwide credit de-
velopmentS which may conceivably in
where and thus make the full use Of
his domestic monetary imitation powers
unnecessary.
1t Is a complicated game in which
the maneuvering talents Of the Pres1-
dent may, perhaps, be exhibited to great
advantage. Mr.. Macdonald Of Great
Britain will sit in the public presiding
chair Of the London conference; but
Mr.. Roosevelt of the United States will
be the principal puller of its hidden
strings.
The President has shown himself to
be an adroit bargainer with the United
States Congress The British, with
their desire to put all OF the London
conferences problems into one vast jig
saw puzzle, have offered him the op-
portunity to be q legislative diplomatic
bargainer on q worldwide scale. He
has accepted.
That Is the principal economic re.
suit Of the conversations he has had
here with his foreign guests. The
actual detailed decisions reached here
have been Of minor importance. The
great point fixed here regarding In
ternational economies is that the Lon
don conference shall be q sort OF
open sesame for all of the worlds eco
nomic woes and economic remedies and
that President Roosevelt has acquired
such prestige In the foreign world that
he will be the conferences principal
figure, even while remaining In the
White House In Washington.
The second outstanding outcome OF
the recent international conversations
here Is to be attributed chiefly to M.
Herriot and his French colleagues.
They were Enthusiastically deeply
concerned about the peace Of Europe
and about measures for checking the
outbreak Of another possible war. They
were much more talkative about the
sterilization of peace than about the
stabilization Of trade.
In a degree, they scored q success
In two parts. Firstly, there went from
washington to Geneva q strong pres
sure upon the Disarmament Confer
ence for speedy action Of some sort.